Teach your children
by Jaguarin
Summary: Secuel to "We've Just begun", Barbara now help's Selina givin extra-classes of grammar to Helena.
1. Default Chapter

Thanks to Night Staker for her cooments and her editing Job!!!

* * *

A big storm fell on Gotham City. Selina secured all the windows of her apartment and went to the kitchen to prepare some tea. She took the tea and walked slowly to her room. The storm was turning violent.  
  
She walked in the corridor and opened Helena's door. She was sleeping deeply; she closed the door and went toward her bedroom. She moved to her bed and opened a book to read. She read her book in peace; she liked her house, she liked her life; it was much better than she ever could imagine.  
  
After a few minutes, she began to feel tired. She turned off the night light and put her book on the night table. Lightening flashed, lighting up the room, and was followed by a loud thunder. Yes, that was going to be one of the biggest storms of the year. She rested her head on her pillow and closed her eyes. Another loud crash of thunder was heard.  
  
She felt suddenly a hard push on her back. She sighed. Her girl could walk silently as a cat, but was rude as a bear. "Hel, why can't you be sweet and tender like other girls?"

"I'm scared." She heard the tiny voice of her kid.

Selina smiled and turned; under the blankets she saw a small shape like a ball. She raised the blankets and looked underneath. The girl was curled up against her; she raised her face to her mother; her little cat eyes shone in the darkness.

"Come here." Selina said, gently.

The child crawled on the bed and hugged her.

"Hel, you don't have to be afraid of thunder. It can't hurt you." Selina wrapped her arms around her.

"I don't like it."

Selina felt something on her stomach, she moved her hand down and took the stuffed cat. She moved it up. "Hey, Jaçques. Why didn't you take care of Helena?"

"He is scared too," the child mumbled.

A loud noise was heard. Helena hugged her mother tightly.

"Ouch..." Selina laughed lightly, "Be careful, you are a strong little girl."

The kid remained unmoving looking through the window. Another flash of lightening lit the room. She hid her face and asked her mother in quiet voice. "Why don't you close the curtains, Mom?"

"I like to see the rain fall." She smiled. "Give me a second." She stood up and walked toward the window. She closed it and moved back again to her bed.

Thunder rocked the dark room. Selina brushed Helena's hair. "Hel, don't be scared, you always hear thunder after the flash of lightning and with good reason. Thunder is made up of a series of sound vibrations caused by lightning strikes. It's the noise lightening makes as the heated air particles expand and compresses rapidly. "

"I don't like it."

"It's far from us, look, come on, look at me. To figure out the distance of a lighting strike from where you are, you merely have to count the seconds between when you see the flash and when you hear the thunder."

Helena saw another bolt of lightening and increased her grip on Selina.

"Okay, one, two, three, four, five, six..." The thunder was heard "Well, now, we divide the number of seconds by five because a one mile is equal to approximately five seconds. So that lightening and thunder was a mile from us. You are safe."

Helena raised her eyes, scared. Selina kissed her forehead when another bolt lit the room; The kid hugged her strongly. "I'm scare...."

"Count with me, One..." the blonde woman said to her.

The kid began to follow her in a low voice, when she was on number six the loud thunder was heard. Selina felt the girl burying her face in her neck. "Helena, the storm is moving farther away," she said. "See?"

"I want it to go..." she mumbled.

"It's moving. Nature is pretty, Hel, you would love it."

"I don't like it."

"You will, you will." She rubbed her back, smiling.

"I hate storms."

Selina pressed her against her. "Don't be afraid. I'm with you."

* * *

Batgirl examined the body. It was cold. How many hours? She didn't know. She looked around for any clue, but it was hard with the rain. It looked as if the sky was falling in pieces. She knew he was an important business man in Gotham. Why had he jumped off the building? She looked up. Hard to say. He had a nice family and was a very respectable person.

The raining was falling with more intensity. Drops of it ran over her mask. She cleaned her eyes.

"Find anything?" a deep voice asked at her back.

"No... I don't understand." She stood up, looking up at the building. He had fallen almost five floors.

"He is the third."

"I know, all financial men. Not a coincidence." She faced the Dark Knight. He was much taller than she. In the beginning, he had thought that she just wanted to play hero, but now she had his respect. She was really smart and often a much better detective than he. She could easily find clues where no one else could.

"All studied Psychology at Gotham State University," Batgirl said. "I need to do research in the University files. I'm not sure these are suicides."

"Maybe this will help." He raised his hand and gave her a piece of cloth in a plastic bag.

She took it with her hand and examined it. "What is this Batman?"

"One of the victims had it in his hand."

"Do you think he...??"

"I think, as you, that these are not suicides," he said.

"Ideas?"

"Revenge."

Loud thunder was heard.

"Beautiful night," Batman raised his head and looked at the black sky.

"Revenge is a good reason." Batgirl put the plastic bag on her belt. "Let me check it and I'll call you."

"Right."

* * *

Three days later, Barbara was lunching with Selina in a fast food restaurant. Barbara was enjoying a big hamburger and Selina a salad. Both laughed, talking about different topics. Selina was a funny person; her wit that she knew from Catwoman was part of her personality and that made the conversations most entertaining. Selina was older than she, but it didn't stop them from understanding each other well. Maybe it was because of their uncommon night time careers.

"That was funny." Barbara laughed.

"Not so much, if you were part of that scene." The blonde woman took a drink of water. "I couldn't laugh so much at that moment."

"True."

"How is Helena?" Barbara cleaned her mouth with a napkin.

"That girl." Selina shook her head. "I'm having trouble with her."

"Trouble?"

"At school. She is smart, but she doesn't like so much the school thing. She gets distracted so easily. The teacher talks and she is in the classroom, but her mind is flying I dunno where. She has problems now with English. I have been looking for a tutor, but I can't find one; Helena doesn't like them or ,well, they say they can't keep her mind on the subject. Believe me, she is a pain in the ass when she doesn't like someone."

"I believe you."

"Did she give you many problems when you took care of her months ago?"

"Oh no, but her logic sometimes killed me."

"I have talked with her," Selina explained, "and I think she makes her best effort to study, but her imagination is incredibly big."

"Mom!" Helena interrupted the conversation, she was sweating and her blouse was out of her jeans. "May I go to the maze now?"

Selina took a napkin and cleaned her sweaty face. "You are a disaster. You said you wanted a hamburger and you have been playing games in the garden the entire time."

"Last time, please???" Helena begged.

Selina arranged her blouse inside her pants. "I'm going to ask for your hamburger now. I want you back in ten minutes."

"Yes!" she said, running toward the garden game again.

"I think she just needs patience," Barbara said thinking of her own experience with her.

"Professors need it." Selina explained, standing up. "Let me order her hamburger."

Barbara smiled and turned her head watching Helena climbing a plastic stairway. She laughed playing with the other kids. In a few seconds, her blouse was again out of her jeans. She smiled, she had a lot of energy, and was agile like her mother. She smiled thinking, "Mom's kitten."

"The principal called me." Selina sat down, interrupting her thoughts. "Helena needs to improve her grades or she will be in trouble at the end of the year."

"That sounds bad." The redhead put a french fry in her mouth.

"Yes, she now has now two English exams with low marks." Selina wacthed the redhead a few seconds in silence.

"What?" Barbara asked, seeing Selina watching her.

"Could you help me with her?"

"Helena? Me? How?"

"You like her, she likes you; you are good in English."

"Wait a second, wait a second..." Barbara almost laughed "Do you want me to give her an English tutorial?"

"Just one class. The past tense is her principal headache," Selina told her. "Her teacher has sent me notes about it. I have been trying to explain it to her, but I'm not good with all her questions."

"I'm good at English, but I never..."

"It's just one class. She always pays attention when you talk to her. I don't know why, but she does."

Barbara leaned over her chair and, smiling, looked at the blonde woman. "You are joking, right?"

"Please, she is not good in English. She just need to understand the use of past tense better so she can improve on her next exam. Later, I'll spend more time looking for an English tutor." The woman pleaded, "Come on, Barbara. It's just one class."

"All right, all right." The red head nodded. "Saturday four pm."

"Thanks so much." Selina smiled.

"You pay for lunch."

"Of course!" Selina said happily.

"I'm back." Helena said, sitting in a chair next to her mother.

"Good, now go to the bathroom and wash your face while I go get your hamburger," Selina instructed.

"All right." She ran toward the bathroom. 

"And don't run!! God!" Selina growled; she shook her head. "I would like her to be more feminine, but she..."

"She is just a kid."

"I know, but I would like to see her wearing a dress or... her manners, sometimes she has the manners of a five year old."

"Let her grow a bit." Barbara smiled. "When boys begin to catch her attention, she will change."

"I hope so, I really hope so." Selina sighed, standing up. "I'll go get her hamburger."

"All right." Barbara smiled.

Helena arrived, almost stumbling, a few seconds later and sat down looking around. "Where is my hamburger?"

"Your mom went for it." Barbara looked at her, she was all soaked. She took a napkin and waved her hand. "Come here, did you swim in the sink?"

Helena stood up next to Barbara and arranged her shirt inside her pants, while the redhead cleaned her wet face and her shirt.

"I'm hungry."

"Didn't seem like it, you were playing a long time."

"Here is your hamburguer," Selina said, putting the plate on the table. She looked at her kid. "Helena, what on earth happened to you? Did you fight against the water?"

"Hamburger, hamburger hamburger." Helena said, sitting in front of her food and taking the catsup.

"Be careful with that," Selina said, watching how she put it over the food. 

"I'm the cookie monster!!" Helena almost shouted, and took a gigantic bite from her hamburger.

"No, Helena!" Selina scolded her; she hated when she did that. But it was too late. "How many times have I told you not to do that?"

"Cookie monster doesn't eat cookies?" Barbara asked playfully.

"In this version, no." Selina rolled her eyes. She looked at her child with her mouth full of food, "It's not nice or polite, Helena, I've told you," she said to the child, cleaning her mouth that was covered in catsup and mustard. "Take small bites of your food and don't talk with your mouth full."

"I'm the cookie monster!!!." Helena chewed and, taking four french fries, she put them in her mouth.

"No, Helena no! You have your mouth full!" Selina grumbled.

Helena moved her head back "No one can stop the cookie monster!!!"

Selina looked at Barbara and sighed. "See what I mean?"

"I understand." Barbara smiled and nodded.

Helena again took a big bite of her hamburger.

"No! No! Stop that!!" Selina scolded her and took the burger from her hands.

"Mom!"

"Cookie monster needs to learn to eat like a normal person or no more burger!"

Helena started to giggle and Selina couldn't avoid giggling with her. She hit her on her head, affectionately and gave her the hamburger again. "Eat properly, now," She said.

Barbara laughed too. Mother and daughter had a nice interaction. Selina was elegant, she looked like a model and she acted like a woman of high class, refined and elegant; but she could transform herself easily and join in the games of her daughter as any mother, roll in the grass or get her hands dirty playing with her. That was lovely.


	2. Voodoo

Barbara examined the test inside her small lab in the back room of her apartment. It was a hidden room where she had a small laboratory. She didn't like the results. If they were accurate, there would be more victims. All of them had been poisoned, but that poison didn't seem to be normal. It affected the mind, but how? Maybe it induced the suicide.

She stood up and changed her clothes. When she was dressed as Batgirl she walked toward a hidden stairway that took her to the bottom floor where she had her bike.

She had work to do.

Deaths to prevent.

A murder to stop.

* * *

"Barbara knows English?" Helena asked, eating a sandwich at the kitchen resting her side on the kitchen furniture while her mother was preparing dinner at the stove. She played with one foot over her other foot.

"Yes, she knows the nuances very well."

"I need an English tutor?"

"Yes, you need one, your grades are low." Selina stirred the food with a spoon. She looked at her and put her hands on her waist. "I told you not to eat before dinner."

"It's just a sandwich."

"And later you won't want to eat."

"I was hungry." Helena bit her sandwich. "It has peanut butter."

"You're always hungry... Peanut butter??" Selina rolled her eyes. "Peanut butter is not food."

"The jar said it has vitamins."

"Forget it. The table is ready?"

"Yes."

Selina took her sandwich. "Give me this. Go and sit. This is ready."

Helena ran toward the table and sat down, waiting for her mom. Selina put a big plate in the center, with beef, and served a bit of it and some salad on the kid's plate

"I don't like tomatos," Helena said.

"They're good for you."

"I'm not a rabbit."

"But you are a girl, and girls need to eat fruits and vegetables, not peanut butter sandwiches."

Helena moved slices of tomato to the side with her fork.

"Eat that or no dessert," Selina said.

"Tomatos taste like water," she said with her gaze fixed on the slices of tomato.

"Okay, so no dessert," the blonde woman threatened her daughter.

Helena moved the tomatoes back to the center of the plate.

"Well, I asked Barbara and she said this Saturday she has time to help you." Selina poured her glass with water and gave Helena some milk.

"Saturdays and Sundays are not school days." The child played with the tomato with her fork.

"She works and she is only free on Saturday. Eat that. If you don't improve your English grades, you will be in trouble. It's just one class, I know you need more, but your principal problem is the past tense and you have an exam next week. She can help you on that."

"All right... But I don't like tutorials."

"So pay more attention in your classes."

"I pay attention."

"Doesn't seem so." Selina pointed out, looking at her. "You are smart, but stubborn."

"English is boring." Helena defended herself.

"It's just one class and, please, be nice with Barbara. You make your tutors crazy very fast."

"I dunno why." The child put a piece of meat in her mouth.

"You ask too many questions." Selina glared at her.

"I don't." Helena raised her eyes to her.

"Try not to ask so much, honey. Come on, it's just one class."

"Okay... Mom, may I sleep with you tonight?"

"Just you?"

"Well, Jaçques too."

"Just Jaçques?"

"All right, can I bring my hipo and my duck?"

Selina said, trying to not laugh, "Helena, your zoo can't be in the same bed as us. There not enough room. Why don't you leave them all in your bed and just bring Jaçques? I can help you to put them to bed."

"Really?" The child raised her eyes smiling.

"Yes."

"Cool!"

Selina smiled. Helena was funny. She had a special charm and she was sweet. But when she was mad, she had the same character of her father. Sometimes she could see him in her attitudes or some facial expressions. Sometimes she wished than they would have had a different and normal life, as regular people; but she knew the adrenaline had been and would always be part of their lives.

She would have liked that life for Helena; but she was sure he would have never been able to do it. It was stronger than he. It was better this way. His night life was a danger and a risk for her. She shook her head, clearing her ideas and took a bit more beef.

* * *

That night she went to John Aldabe's house, another ex-student of Psychology at Gotham State University. She had examined the tests and she had a suspicion that he was the next man. She walked carefully over the rooftop and looked around. The place seemed empty.

The red head jumped on the balcony. She saw the lamp in the library of the house on. Her eyes examined the place. Suddenly it fixed on the lock of the door. It was open. Her heart told to her it was too late. Late again.

She opened the door and walked inside. A chair was on the floor and some books too. A hand was visible on the floor behind the desk.

She took his pulse; he was dead.

Batgirl had been crimefighter many years. And every time she saw a body she felt sick. She lowered her head and sighed. She didn't see any scratches or wounds. Maybe a heart attack?

Her sixth sense alerted her to danger and she rolled on the floor in time to avoid a blow to her head. She moved to the side and could see a tall, black man dressed only in a loincloth and a wooden mask with horns on his head. It was Voodooo. She knew him. He practiced that old, black magic.

She used her leg to kick him in his face. He stumbled back. She stood up and faced him. "I should have known you would be behind these murders."

"Long time, no see," he growled.

"I didn't miss you." Batgirl smirked.

She hit him roughly with her fist. He moved back. He was strong but not fast. It was an easy fight.

She felt a hard blow in her gut.

Well, not so easy, she thought and pushed him back.

"Why are you killing them?" she asked.

"You must know now," he said. "Why do you ask? They are against the most powerful force in the world."

"Black magic is not a good force."

"But it is the most powerful." He charged against her and she jumped over him kicking his skull with her foot. He fell downwards.

"I'm not so sure," Batgirl said

He tried to react, but she was too fast and strong. He took a small bottle off his necklace and threw it against the floor. It crashed next Batgirl's feet and she moved back. A strange pink substance clouded the office. She covered her mouth and coughed. That was poison. She ran toward the window, she jumped through it and landed roughly in the grass.

She coughed and took off her breather, putting it over her mouth. She took a deep breath of the oxygen and, after a few seconds, she began to breathe normally.

He had gone.

But now she knew it was him.

* * *

Helena chewed on some gum with her school bag on her back. Her mother had taken her by the hand and both walked across the street. The child did it by making small jumps. Selina took her inside Barbara's building and after crossing the corridor, she pressed the elevator button.

"I still think it's not a good idea," Helena said, looking at the numbers of the elevator.

"Thankfully, I didn't ask for your opinion on this." The door opened and both walked in.

"Why not?"

"Because you always choose the thing that is easiest for you and not the best," Selina said.

"Mom, can we go to the movies later?" Helena asked her.

"Tomorrow."

"Why not today?"

"Because you need to go to bed early." She extended her hand to Helena's mouth. Helena lifted her eyes her and spat her gum there. "I have told you many times that gum doesn't look nice." Selina wrapped the gum in a small tissue.

The elevator door opened and both went toward Barbara's apartment. The blonde pressed the door bell.

"I still think it's not good idea," Helena mumbled.

"Just please try to understand the lesson well." Selina looked at her.

"Do you know her waffles are the stiffest in all of Gotham?"

"Helena don't talk about her cooking," Selina scolded her in low voice and leaned over her to close the buttons of her sweater. "She is very nice trying to help you; she has a lot of work. I don't want you to start with your inappropriate comments."

"But they are."

"Be polite. Just keep your comments to yourself."

"All right."

"Hi." Barbara opened the door smiling. She was wearing a red sweater and jeans. "How are you, Helena?"

"Hi, Barbara." She moved towards her and gave her a kiss on her cheek, when the redhead bent down to hug her.

"Where is Jaçques?" Barbara asked her.

"He doesn't like extra-classes and decided to stay at home watching television," the child said.

"Oh, I see. Hi, Selina"

"Hi, Babs," the blond woman greeted her.

"Sit at the table, Hel. I'll be there in a minute," the red head said to the kid, who obeyed and walked in.

"Goodbye to you too, Helena," Selina remarked, rolling her eyes.

The kid stepped back and kissed her mom on her cheek. "Bye mom." She walked inside the apartment again. Both women smiled.

"Thanks so much, Babs," Selina said.

"No problem."

"I'll be back in two hours. I have an appointment."

"Appointment?"

"Bruce Wayne."

Barbara cocked her head and smiled. "Bruce?"

"Yes, Bruce." Selina blushed.

"Wow, he's persistant."

"We are good friends."

Barbara frowned, teasingly. "You are a bad liar."

"It's just coffee." Selina said.

"Selina, he likes you. Why don't you catch him? You are an expert."

"Oh... later we'll talk." She looked at her watch "See you later."

"All right, run away, run away."

* * *

Inside, on a lower floor of a building, a strange, old man with a purple robe was finishing sewing a small doll. He stood up and looked at the tall, black man called Voodoo, who stood up behind him.

"Yes, it's the Lady of the Bats again, father," the tall man said. "I remember her the last time that we tried to trap her. She escaped the effects of the drug that we induced."

"Yes, I remember, I need something of hers."

"Cloth?"

"Anything, try to get something of hers and I will stop her."

"Right, father." He bowed his head and exited the room.


	3. Educating Helena

"If the situation being described is an ongoing or current one," Barbara had her eyeglasses on and her book opened next to the kid, explaining her the use of the past tense. "The present tense is needed, even in a past-tense context: Last week she admitted that she is really a brunette, not 'was'."  
  
"Ah..." The kid rested her chin on her hand.  
  
"Pairs of verbs that go together logically have to be kept in the same tense. Patricia described her trip to China and writes that the Great Wall really impressed her. Since "described" is in the past tense, and the writing contains her descriptions, "writes" should be 'wrote.' "  
  
That was really boring. So many words to know that write is write and wrote is wrote. She raised her eyes and looked at the redhead. Helena sighed. "Why do I need to learn English if I speak English? That doesn't make sense."  
  
"But you must learn to use it well," Barbara explained, turning the page.  
  
"I use it well, you understand me."  
  
"Helena, lots of people get into trouble with sentences that describe a hypothetical situation in the past. Now, we continue: 'If he would have packed his own suitcase, he would have noticed that the cat was in it.' That first 'would have' should be a simple 'had': 'If he had packed his own suitcase he would have noticed that the cat was in it.' Also 'The game would have been more fun if we had not 'would have' won.'  
  
Helena heard her speak but was not understanding a word because her thoughts were in another place. Suddenly, she interrupted the red head "Why I must write the "h" if it don't make a sound? No one knows it's there when I'm talking."  
  
"You are off topic; but I can tell you that is our idiom, and "h" helps us to speak. Okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Well," she showed her the book, "this sort of construction consists of two parts: a hypothetical cause in the past and its logical effect."  
  
The kid crossed raised her eyes to her. "Why do we pronounce 'g' as 'j' sometimes? I don't see the sense."  
  
Barbara sighed. "Helena, I need your mind on English past tense class. You are on other topics."  
  
"George sounds like 'jorj' and fromage is pronouced as "fromaj" and ..." the child explained.  
  
Barbara took a deep breath and leaned over the table to face the kid. "Helena, we are talking about problems when you write in past tense, not cheese. Understand? Focus on our lesson."  
  
Helena moved her head back. Seemed as if the redhead didn't like that comment. "All right," she said.  
  
"Well... back to topic," Barbara brushed her hair and took a breath. Barbara pointed at the book with her pencil. "The hypothetical cause needs to be put into the past tense: 'had.' Only the effect is made conditional: "would have." Note that in the second example above, the effect is referred to before the cause. Did you write that?"  
  
"I'm on it..." the kid said writing in her notebook. "Give me a second."  
  
Barbara turned the page looking for more examples, while the child wrote. After a few seconds, the kid put her pen on the table and looked at the red head.  
  
"Finished?" Barbara asked.  
  
"Yes... may I ask you something?"  
  
"Yes," she said distractedly, marking a page.  
  
"I was wondering why the plural of 'goose' is 'geese', but moose is not 'meese', it's 'moose'."  
  
"What?" Barbara blinked.  
  
"Goose is Geese," Helena explained, "but 'moose' is not 'meese' it's 'moose' when it should be 'meese'."  
  
"Helena focus on our lesson."  
  
"Who invented English?"  
  
"That is not the topic." Barbara rolled her eyes.  
  
"But that is not logical!" Helena protested.  
  
"I don't care if it's not logical or not! We are in past tense class!" The redhead began to feel exasperated. "And we are here because you need to learn how to use the language well."  
  
"How I could use it well when 'moose' is 'moose' and not 'meese'?" The child tried in her mind understand that.  
  
"Your logic is illogical.". Barbara glared at her.  
  
"My logic is logical." Helena crossed her arms.  
  
"Focus on our lesson," the red head said with a hard voice.  
  
"'Fish' is 'fish', but 'dish' is 'dishes'. 'Mouse' is 'mice' but 'house' is not 'hice', it's 'houses'. Is that logical?"  
  
"Oh God!" Barbara rubbed her eyes.  
  
"I don't have many 'hice', I have many 'houses', but it should be..."  
  
Barbara covered the brunette's mouth with her hand. "Don't say another word..."  
  
"But..." Helena mumbled under her hand.  
  
"I said not another word!" Barbara pointed at her with her free hand. "All right?"  
  
Helena nodded.  
  
Barbara moved her hand back.  
  
"You're mean." Helena faced her.  
  
"And you ask so many questions." Barbara moved her face a few inches from hers.  
  
"You are the English teacher."  
  
"Yes, I'm the teacher and you are the student!"  
  
"So, a teacher answer questions, no? Answer mine!"  
  
"Ohhh.... just shoot me." Barbara moved back and waved her hand.  
  
Helena blinked. "Why?" She didn't understand why she had said that.  
  
"Oh shit..." Barbara mumbled to herself and covered her head with her hands. Selina had caught her again. In what moment had she had agreed to give English lessons to Helena?"

* * *

Selina pressed the doorbell of Barbara's apartment.  
  
"Mom!" She heard Helena's yell and her steps running inside the apartment. She smiled. After a few seconds, Barbara opened the door; her smile disappeared when she saw Barbara's face; her hair was really a mess and her face showed fatigue.  
  
"Do you feel okay?" she asked.  
  
"Don't ask. How was your appointment?"  
  
"Marvelous, we..."  
  
"Mom!!" A yell made Selina turn and she saw her little girl running toward her with her school bag in her hand. She kneeled and Helena almost made her fall when she jumped in her arms.  
  
"Ouch... As gentle as always. Hi, sweetheart... How was it?"  
  
"Excellent, I learned a lot."  
  
"Oh, that is good," Selina said, looking at Barbara. "Thanks so much, Babs." She stood up. "She has a lot of problems with the past tense."  
  
"Don't worry; she understands it now. Took me a while, but now she gets it."  
  
"Yes, I understand now." Helena looked up to her mother. "She explains very well."  
  
"Really?" Selina asked, surprised. Helena never liked her tutorial professors and all of them said she was easily distracted with anything and had trouble with her. "I don't know how you did it, but thanks so much, Barbara."  
  
"It's a pleasure." She smiled lightly. All she wanted an that moment was to go to sleep.  
  
"May I come again to see her?" Helena asked her mother.  
  
Barbara opened her eyes wide, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Half afternoon she had been talking to the kid about keeping her questions for another time. "What?"  
  
"May I come back?" Helena looked at Barbara, hopefully.  
  
The red head was shocked. "Are you kidding?"  
  
"No, Helena," Selina said.  
  
"Why not?" The child pouted.  
  
"She just made an exception this day. She works and she..."  
  
"I was a good girl. I behaved myself." The kid looked at the red head. "Tell her Barbara; I did all the things that you told me."  
  
Barbara couldn't avoid a smile. That was true. The only problem had been her constant "questions" about grammar that she had in her head. "Yes, she did very well." She rubbed the kid's head affectionately.  
  
"May I come again?"  
  
"Okay, okay... We can do tutorials Mondays and Fridays at six o'clock. Right?"  
  
The kid nodded happily.  
  
"Barbara, you don't...." Selina said.  
  
"Don't worry, Selina." Barbara interrupted her. "It's okay. I can help her a few weeks; I don't have so much work right now. And you can pick her up at eight."  
  
"Oh... really?" Selina asked, surprised.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Thanks so much:" Selina hugged her "You don't know how much trouble I've had looking for someone to help me with her."  
  
"Don't worry."  
  
"All right. Say bye to Babs, Helena."  
  
"Bye Barbara." Helena gave the redhead a hug. "And thanks so much."  
  
She said good bye to both and closed her apartment door. She leaned her back against it and closed her eyes. "I really said that?" she asked herself. Talking with the kid was a really hard job and she had told Selina she would keep helping her. It had been her and no one else. "Later, don't protest, Barbara," she said to herself looking at her watch. She still had work to do as Batgirl. 


	4. Angel is back

Selina was reading a book; she heard Helena giggling and raised her head. She had put her in the bed half an hour ago. She put her book on the night table and went toward her bedroom. She stood in the corridor and looked down at her door. Her light was off, but, for Helena, playing with light off was not a problem with her night vision. She heard her giggling again.

She opened the door and saw her playing with some toys on the floor. The kid, realizing she had been discovered, tried unsuccessfully to hide the toys under the bed.

Selina put her hands on her waist. "What did I tell you?"

"I was picking up my toys..."

"Sure, go to sleep now!"

Helena did an amazing jump to her bed.

"I don't want to hear any protests when I wake you up tomorrow morning." 

"I never protest."

Her mother went to her and tickled her. "If you don't want to wake up tomorrow to go to school I'm going to wake you up with cold water."

"No, you won't." Helena laughed.

"Yes, I will do it." The blonde woman covered her with the blankest. "Your prayers?"

"I said them."

"The one to your guardian angel?"

"Oh.." She put her palms together in front of her face and closed her eyes "Angel of God,  
my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this night be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen." She moved back and rested her head on her pillow.

"Amen." Selina kissed her on the forehead. She took Jaçques, who was on the other side of the bed and gave it to her. She hugged her cat. "Now sleep, it's late."

"But I'm not sleepy."

"Just close your eyes."

"All right."

Her mother left the room. Helena turned to her side and closed her eyes. She wasn't sleepy. It was so hard to try to sleep. After a few minutes, she sat up in the bed and looked around. She couldn't turn on the television or play. She got out of her bed and, grabbing her stuffed cat, and went toward the window, she looked down to the street below and sighed. She looked back, out her door. She could still see the light from her mom's room on.

She looked again through the window. Suddenly, she saw a familiar figure climbing down the front of a building. That was... her guardian angel? She opened her eyes wide. It was her.

Batgirl opened a window and moved inside.

Helena opened her balcony door and walked outside; it was a cold night, but it didn't matter to her. She kneeled on the balcony and looked at the other building.

Batgirl, inside the building, examined some files. She was trying to find some more clues on the murders. She took a scan and copied some documents; she worked there more than fifteen minutes. When she finished, she put all the papers in their places and walked toward the window.

A blow hit her on the back of her head and she fell downwards, stunned. Someone took her by her hair and slammed her against the wall. She felt she had lost some hair. Someone moved over her pulling something off of her waist and afterwards hit her roughly on her jaw, making her see stars.

She recovered after a few seconds and shook her head. Rubbing the back of her head she sat on the floor. Whoever had been there had gone as fast as they had appeared. She touched her belt and noticed the scanner had disappeared. "Damn," she growled.

She stood up and noticed the files had disappeared too. That was not good. Annoyed, she paced inside the small room. She couldn't do anything; she had been so stupid, he or she had taken her by surprise.

She secured the rope on her waist. In the corner of her eye, she saw the small face in the next building. She recognized that building, it was the one where Selina had her apartment. And that, that was Helena's balcony.

"Damn," she growled to herself. But she couldn't do more. She climbed up as fast as she could and jumped on the roof top.

Helena watched, amazed by how easily she climbed. "Did you see that, Jaçques?" she whispered to her stuffed cat. "Wow."

She raised her head trying to see her, but she couldn't see anything. The building was five floors higher than the one where she was. She stood up and looked at the next buildings trying to find a trace of her. She knew that no one could see her guardian angel and that she had been so lucky. She had seen her again.

"What are you doing?" A voice behind her made her jump in her place. Frightened, she stepped back, hugging Jaçques. She was speechless when she saw her "angel" standing up on the other side of the balcony with her arms crossed on her chest and with her back rested on the wall.

Batgirl chuckled, amused. "Do you know it's a bad habit to spy on people?"

"Angel..." Helena smiled and went to her, hugging her.

Batgirl was stunned for that unexpected act of love. She didn't know how to react in the first seconds, but she finally she hugged her back.

"Why are you awake at two am here?" She kneeled, smiling "Does your mom know?"

The kid shook her head.

Barbara looked at her bare feet. "And your shoes? You could catch a cold."

Helena looked at her feet and moved one over the other one. "It's not so cold."

Batgirl smiled. "Helena, go inside before you catch a cold."

"I'm glad to see you," the child said.

"I'm glad to see you too, come on, go inside your room." The redhead opened the balcony door and pushed her gently inside.

"Come in..." Helena said to her.

"I can't, it's not right."

"Let me show you my room." The kid took her hand and pulled her.

"Helena... I can't." Batgirl refused gently.

"Wait here." Helena gave her Jaçques and ran inside her room.

Barbara kneeled at the door frame and heard her steps moving from one place to another in the darkness. "Helena, I need to go."

Suddenly, the kid appearing carrying some toys. She put them on the floor and gave her a fat, pink stuffed hippo. Barbara took it in her hands.

"This is Charlotte. I'll be right back." She ran back into the darkness.

"Wait... Helena..." She looked on the floor and saw a squirrel, a Daffy Duck, a baby Mickey Mouse, some small Smurfs and a Garfield. She smiled.

Helena came back in a few seconds with a giant giraffe and a gorilla, one in each arm. "This is Pierre and the gorilla is Billo," she said, putting them on the floor, proud of all her stuff.

"Hey nice." Batgirl took the squirrel. "And this is...?"

"Boo."

"Hi Boo." Barbara said, looking at the squirrel. "The yare very nice, Helena."

"They wanted to meet you." She kneeled on the floor, standing up them. "I told them that you are my angel."

Batgirl shook her head. "I'm not a guardian angel. I'm a crime fighter, I told you. I'm a person just like you."

"But normal people don't dress like you." Helena frowned.

"Point for you. But I'm still not an angel, get it? I know many things about people."

"Things?"

"For example I know you are taking tutorials."

"Ohhh..."

"You are smart, but you need pay more attention in your classes."

"I don't like English. Why do I need to take English class? I speak English well." Helena lowered her face.

"English is not difficult when you pay attention," Barbara explained. "Try to pay attention, it will be easier."

"Barbara is helping me. Did you know that?" Helena smiled.

"Yes, and I know too that sometimes you make her nuts with your questions," the red head said, touching her nose with her finger.

"Everyone says that, but I don't ask so much. I just want to know."

"One topic at a time. You can't touch many topics in just one moment."

"Well, I can try."

"Promise me."

"All right." Helena raised her head. "I promise."

"Good, now go to sleep. It's late." Bartgirl rubbed her head and looked at her toys "Good night, everybody."

Helena smiled and surprised her again with a hug and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Nite."

The child walked inside her room and Batgirl closed the door. She smiled to herself and moved back; she had something special. She couldn't deny it. She took the rope next to the balcony and climbed up again.

* * *

Helena yawned, opening her mouth. "I told you to go to sleep early," Selina scolded to her. The child, half-asleep, sat on the bed while her mother dressed her. "Why are all your toys on the floor again?" 

"I dunno." The kid yawned again, letting her mother move her arms up and down while she put her school shirt on.

"I hope you don't tell me they had a party last night all by themselves."

"May I sleep for five more minutes?"

"No." She helped her to stand up "Now go and wash your face. It's late."

The kid nodded and walked sleepily, she stumbled against a chair before finding the way to her bathroom, while Selina picked up the stuffed zoo off the floor.


	5. Oxymorons

Helena opened her school bag and took out her notebook and her pencil, putting them on the table. It was Monday and she had her tutorial with Barbara at her apartment. Barbara had a transparent box with candies on the table. She opened it and took one. Chocolate and mint, it tasted good. The redhead appeared with her eyeglasses and with a big book in her hand. She put the book on the table and sat down.

Helena looked at her. "Barbara, the teacher asked us to bring a person to school that can talk to us about something interesting."

"Yes, I heard you." Barbara said, opening another book.

"Could you go?"

"Me?" She was surprised and flattered by the invitation.

"You are the head of the city library and besides..." the little brunette explained.

"Besides?"

"I don't know anyone else."

Barbara raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, Hel. That's comforting."

"Could you go?"

"Let me understand," Barbara put the book down and took off her glasses "You want me to go because you need to take a person to talk about a topic and you don't know anyone else besides me?"

"Yes." Helena smiled.

Barbara sighed, that was the problem with kids sometimes. They spoke the truth.

"Please?"

"All right, all right."

"We are kids," Helena pointed out.

"I know you are kids, why?" Barbara raised her brow.

"You need a topic about your work, but..." She took another chocolate mint from the box and put it in her mouth, "I don't know what would be interesting in a library to a kid."

"Helena Kyle, maybe you don't know it but a book is the best friend of a man and a kid."

"Are you joking?" the child didn't believe a word of that.

"I surprised you once, I can surprise you twice." Barbara crossed her arms on her chest. "Tell your professor, I accept. Just tell me the day and time. Now, rules."

"Rules?" the kid asked, surprised.

"No questions about other topics while we are in class."

"Who asks questions?" The kid frowned.

"You ask questions. Many off topic questions, and that doesn't help us."

"I ask?"

"You ask. So now you must listen and learn, right?" Barbara said.

"I don't ask." Helena shook her head.

"You ask."

"No, I don't."

"You do."

"No."

"Well, the rules are simple, I'm the teacher, I speak, you are the student, you keep quiet. Got it?"

"Got it." Helena didn't understand what was all that was about.

Barbara looked at her book "According to your guide, the next topic is oxymorons."

"What is that?"

"See? You are asking."

"But I dunno what that is!"

"If you don't stop talking, I can't explain it to you. Before we even start an explanation, you open your little mouth. You need to give me the opportunity to explain before asking." Barbara pointed at her with her pen. "Now can we start?"

"Okay."

"Well, an oxymoron is a rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence or a mournful optimist."

"Uh?" Helena opened her eyes wide. That had been really confusing.

"Focus." Barbara said to her, pointing at her again with her pen.

_Focus, focus_ Helena began to say that to herself in her mind.

"The word comes from greek oxumoron, pointedly foolish: oxus, sharp."

The kid looked at her with a stunned face still saying _focus, focus_ to herself.

Barbara tried to do not laugh seing her expression. "A figure in which an epithet of a contrary signification is added to a word. Understand?"

Helena blinked; she had been saying "_focus_" to herself so much that she hadn't heard a word that Barbara had said.

"Helena?" the red head asked "Do you understand?"

"Well... oh..." the little brunette mumbled. "Can we start again?"

"What happened?"

"I'm trying to focus, but I can't say to myself 'focus' and listen to you at the same time." Helena explained, worried.

Barbara couldn't avoid a smile. "You don't need to say "focus" to yourself to pay attention,just listen to all my words without think of other things. Let's try again, okay?."

"Okay."

"An oxymoron is a rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist; in other words, oxymorons conjoin contradictory terms: home office, plastic glasses, little giants, Silent Scream, Living Dead..."

"That was a good movie." Helena remembered taking another chocolate mint from the box next to her.

"I'm not talking about movies."

"But it was."

"See? You are moving off topic again." Barbara glared at her. "Don't ask."

"That wasn't a question, I'm just telling you."

Barbara ignored her comment and wrote in Helena's notebook: 'Same Difference' 'Taped Live' "These are examples. Give me some more examples."

Helena read the words and raised her head looking at her "This oxy whatever you call it is **perfectly ridiculous**."

"Well, take this class as a "**totalitarian democracy**"." Barbara grinned. "Ok, so back to the oxymorons, please? Can you think of any?"

"I'm **drawing a blank**." The kid shook her head.

"That one was good."

"What did I say?"

"A good one."

"Well, this is not an **easy** **task**."

"That one was good too." Barbara took notes on blank paper.

"Uh?" Helena still didn't understand what was happening.

"Give me another one."

"**Once again** please, I don't understand well."

"You got it, bravo" Barbara smiled.

"**Home work** is nasty." Helena grumbled, about what was she talking?.

"That's enough."

"**Fine mess**..."

"I said that's enough, Hel. You get it."

Helena shook her head. "No. I'm **almost totally** lost."

"Helena Kyle, are you mocking me?" Barbara narrowed her eyes.

"This is **pretty ugly**." The kid scratched her head.

"Helena, stop that!" Barbara sighed.

Helena looked at her surprised. "Stop what??"

"Doing that!" The red head pointed at her with her pen.

"I'm doing nothing!"

"You did it again! Stop pretending that you don't know about what I'm talking and then spouting oxymorons at me."

"Why we don't change the topic and then **problem solved**?"

"God!" Barbara brushed her hair.

"What? I didn't do anything!" She still tried to understand what was bothering the redhead.

"Okay, okay..." Barbara waved her hands "Let's start again. You are intelligent, smart; but your problem is that you don't focus."

"I'm trying," the kid said.

"Pretty ugly is an oxymoron, as is problem solved, fine mess, once again... see? They are opposites."

"Oh... I get it... **half full**, **going nowhere**."

"Yes, right. Finally, you get it!" Barbara smiled and rubbed her head.

Helena kept silent a few moments while Barbara looked in the guide for the next topic.

"You always rub my head," the child said, half closing her eyes suspiciously.

"It's an affectionate gesture," Barbara answered distractedly."

"She does that too," Helena cocked her head.

"Who does what?"

"My angel rubs my head."

Barbara froze and only her eyes moved to look at the girl. She cleared her throat. "Angel?"

"My guardian angel always rubs my head like you."

"Many people "rub" heads, Helena." Barbara feigned reading the book. She never had thought she would pay so much attention to small details.

"I know but... just my mom and my angel and you rub my head," the child said.

"If you don't like me to rub your head, I will not do that again."

"It's not that, it's just that she does that too."

"Just tell me you don't want me to rub your head." Barbara tried to change the subject.

"I didn't say that," Helena protested.

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't, I said my angel does that too."

"Angels don't rub heads. Many people rub heads. You rub Jaçques' head," Barbara said.

"Well, he likes it," Helena said.

"I thought you liked it, but if you don't, I won't rub your head again."

"I like it."

"Don't worry, I understand, I will never rub your head again." Barbara moved her head and waved her hands.

"Are you annoyed?"

"I'm not annoyed. I understand that you don't like the 'rub' thing."

"I like it!" Helena said, worried, she didn't want her to feel bad, and she did like it.

"Helena, it's okay. It doesn't offend me that you don't like it, really."

"I like it, Barbara!"

"Don't lie to me." The red head knew she had her.

"I'm not lying to you." Helena was confused.

"It's okay... I understand."

"Why I should lie to you?"

"Kids sometimes lie."

"I don't lie."

"Oh come on." Barbara smirked. "I lied when I was a child, I'm sure you lie too."

"Well... just a little" Helena showed Barbara her index and her thumb close together.

"I knew it..." Barbara crossed her arms over the table. "What's your favorite lie?"

"Huh?" Helena looked at her surprised, she couldn't tell her that... or yes?

"Let me tell you mine... it was..." Barbara half-closed her eyes. "I don't have homework... yes, that was it."

The child giggled.

"Now tell me yours."

"Wasn't me..." she said.

"What?"

"'Wasn't me.' When I do stuff I shouldn't, sometimes I say "It wasn't me"."

"Good one." Inside, the red head sighed with relief, she had distracted her enough to forget about the topic of rubbing her head. She needed to be more careful next time or she would be in trouble.

"Barbara, I know you are busy, but could we have an extra class tomorrow? I have exam on Friday. And we still have a topic left."

"Yes, it would be a pleasure."

Helena took another chocolate mint. "And can I sleep over?"

"Excuse me?" Barbara was surprised by the question.

"Mom has an appointment tomorrow night," the child put another chocolate mint in her mouth, "and when she has an appointment she hires a nanny and she is grumpy with me. She sends me to sleep early and only watches boring dramas on television. She can pick me up early and take me to school."

"But do you think...?"

"I'm sure she will say yes if you ask her. If I ask, she is not going to take me seriously. She says she doesn't like to bother you."

The red head didn't know what to say.

"Please?" Helena looked her with imploring eyes.

She had work to do as Batgirl.

"I promise I'll be good. I can wash the dishes," Helena pleaded.

Well, sometimes heroes needed a free night. She smiled at the girl. "All right. I'll tell her."


	6. Educating Helena II

A few hours later he was standing up looking the lights of the city below him. He missed her often. But they were both so difficult sometimes. He accepted that he was not easy and she always challenged him with her attitude. She was proud, and enigmatic. She was so beautiful.

She had vanished a long time ago and suddenly she had appeared again. More beautiful than ever, but with a child. A child that intrigued him. He was sure she had gone because she had found someone else and the child, that he had only seen once, was proof of that. He had seen her two months after her arrival in Gotham in a restaurant.

Knowing that she had a daughter had impressed him. He never expected that and it had stunned him. It was a night, six moths later, at a Gotham Museum Exposition, where he had seen her again. And now, they usually took a moment to get a cocktail or go to dinner. She sometimes refused his invitations because of her daughter. She loved her so much; he could read that in her eyes and in the emotion that she transmitted when she talked about her; and sometimes she avoided talking about her; maybe so she wouldn't hurt him. It was a secret that she kept just for herself.

"Batman."

He turned and looked at her with a cold gaze.

"Are you all right?" Batgirl asked, touching his shoulder. "I was calling you and it was like you were lost."

"Sorry, I was thinking." He answered with his deep voice.

"It's Voodoo. I saw him a few nights ago and someone surprised me last night at the office of Mr. David Katowsky."

"What?" Batman asked surprised.

"Whoever it was, knocked me down," Batgirl explained. "I thought it was Voodoo again but... I don't understand why he didn't kill me. He stole the files and the scans of all the documents that I thought would be interesting."

"Do you remember any of those documents?"

"Psychology at Gotham State University had a campaign against Voodoo in the Caribbean to stop that old practice. When I saw Voodoo, he told me something about that."

"And the cloth?" Batman asked.

"It has an African symbol of Voodoo."

He rubbed his chin with his hand. "We need keep an eye on the professors that are working on that program until we find him."

"Yes, and take them to a secure place." She took off her batarang and threw it to the next building.

"See you."

* * *

The next day, at lunch, Helena and Gibson were sitting under a tree at school.

"Barbara agreed to come here and give a small speech." Helena put her lunch box on her legs.

"Oh cool." He remembered the beauty and incredible body of the red head.

Helena glared at him.

"What?" He moved back, afraid that she would hit him.

"She is a librarian! What interesting topic could a librarian talk about?"

"So why did you invite her?" Gibson scratched his head.

"Because I don't know anyone else!" Helena exclaimed. "I'm new in this city. I told her we are children to prevent her from talking about one of her boring books."

"What boring books?"

"All her books, just have words, no pictures. They must be boring." She opened her lunch box, and examined it.

"True." Gibson opened a paper bag and looked inside for his lunch.

"What do you have today?" she asked.

"A Peanut butter sandwich, cake, poptarts."

"Want a ham sandwich? Mom gave me two."

"Yes."

"Give me the peanut butter one and the poptarts." Helena gave him her sandwich.

"Both?" Gibson looked at her stunned.

"It's expensive ham."

He watched her; she was a cheater. "You are lying."

"I don't know what you eat, but mom buys me very fine food."

"Are you joking?"

"Well..." She unwrapped her sandwich, "Eat your peanut butter sandwich." She opened her mouth to bite it.

"All right." He stopped her hand. "Deal."

She smiled and gave her sandwich to him and Gibson gave her his food. He bit the sandwich and chewed it.

He looked at her. "Tastes like regular ham."

"You are so ignorant." Helena scolded him. "It's Spanish ham, very fine!"

"Well, it tastes like regular ham."

She rolled her eyes. "Men!"

Gibson tried to taste the "special" flavor of the ham unsuccessfully, maybe she was right and he was ignorant. Meanwhile, Helena happily munched the peanut butter sandwich, knowing she had tricked him again.

* * *

"**Who** and **whoever**" are subjective pronouns; **whom** and **whomever** are in the objective case. As simple and important as that distinction is, many people have difficulty deciding on the proper usage of **who** and **whom** in sentences." Barbara looked at Helena, whose gaze was lost out the window and her hand was playing with her chin. She looked her in silence a few seconds. She blinked, she had seen that hand movement before. It was not a typical one. But... she shook her head. She was seeing things that couldn't be.

"Helena, are you listening to me?"

Blue eyes looked up. "What?"

Barbara blinked again, seeing those eyes. Why had she never noticed before? She was sure she knew those eyes... The red head shook her head. She was getting distracted too much. "Not '**what', 'who'** and '**whom**'.... the topic of our tutorial."

"Oh, yes."

"Ok, as I was saying..."

"Hey, Barbara?" Helena interrupted.

Barbara sighed, knowing that the madness was about to start. "Yes?"

"What happened to that box of candy you had on the table yesterday?"

"I gave it away."

Helena scowled. She liked those chocolates. "Who did you give it to?"

Barbara arched an eyebrow. "To** whom** did I give it," she corrected.

"That's what I asked. **Who** did you give it to?"

"No, Helena, to **whom **did I give it."

"Right. **Who** did you give it to?" the child asked, not quite certain why Barbara did not understand.

Barbara wanted to bang her head on the table. "Helena, what I mean is, you should have asked "To **whom** did you give it?"."

Helena frowned. "I did. I asked you **who** you gave it to."

"Focus, Helena. The grammatically correct way to ask the question is "To **whom** did you give it?" not "**Who** did you give it to?". You can't end a sentence in a preposition and you need to use '**whom**' instead of '**who**', as it is an object, not the subject."

"What?" That had been the most confusing thing that she had ever heard. Helena shook her head, confused.

"You need to use '**whom**' instead of 'who', as it is an object, not the subject."

"The object was the subject. The candy was the subject of the question."

Barbara removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Not the subject of the question, Hel, the subject of the verb."

"Oh." Helena thought for a moment. "So, to **whom **did you give the candy?"

Barbara looked up, finally she got it. "Yes! That's it!" she praised. She looked in her book again, trying to find an exercise for her.

"Well?" the girl asked, waiting.

"Well, what?" the redhead asked back.

"To **whom** did you give the candy?" Helena repeated, wanting an answer.

"I said that was correct, yes," Barbara answered, distractedly reading through her notes.

"But, you didn't tell me."

Barbara furrowed her brow and looked her. "Tell you what?"

Helena let her head fall to the table dramatically. "**Where **the candy went?"

"Oh! I gave it to a friend for her birthday, yesterday. I forgot that I had a dinner with her last night; so the box was nice and I had bought it just three days ago. Why?"

"You gave it as a present?" Helena raised her head, without believing her words. "Why?"

"... well I needed to give her a present..." Barbara was surprised at the small brunette's reaction.

"But you could give her flowers or other things! Not that box!"

"Why?"

Helena sighed and let her head fall again on the table. "No reason."

Barbara understood and smiled. "Are you hungry, again?"

The girl raised her head and nodded. "Whom delivers here?" she asked, trying to put her lesson to use.

"**Who**," Barbara corrected.

"Right. Can we get pizza?" she sighed, mint-chocolates had gone.

"**Who **can we call for take-out."

"I don't know, that's why I asked," Helena responded, getting frustrated.

"No, Helena." Barbara laughed, amused by her frustration. "I mean, the question is, "**Who** can we call, not **whom **can we call.""

"Ok, so **who** can we call, then?" Helena answered, emphasizing the word '**who'**.

Barbara narrowed her eyes and could detect the slightest hint of laughter in the kid's expression. Somehow, she was certain Helena was doing all this on purpose and that she understood everything perfectly. "Helena... are you trying to mocking me again?"

"**Whom**? Me?"

"Yes, you." Barbara pointed at her with her pencil. She was sure now, the kid was playing with her. "You are much smarter than you let on."

"Me?" the kid moved her head back.

It had been right in her eyes and she hadn't seen it. She was one of the best detectives in the city and a kid had been tricking her. Barbara stood up slowly from her chair. "You don't fool me anymore; you understand these lessons very well."

Helena stood up slowly too, with her eyes fixed on the redhead. She was in trouble. "I understand because you explain it well..." she mumbled.

"Yes, but you understood very well at my first explanation." Barbara began to walk toward Helena, pretending to be angry.

The child felt like a mouse cornered by a cat and stepped back. "Don't be mad... I like to understand well and..."

"You kept us sitting here more than two hours for each class, when you had it all clear in the first thirty minutes!!!"

They began to walk in circles around the table.

"You love to tease me every class with your questions." Barbara kept her eyes on the child.

"Not true," Helena said.

"Come here..." She moved her index finger. "I just want play with you. You trickster..."

Helena giggled. "Not true."

"Yes, you did it!"

"No, I didn't."

"Wait 'till I get my hands on you!" Barbara tried to trap her but Helena easily jumped to avoid her and ran toward the living room and hid behind the coach.

"Come here, little demon!" The red head followed her.

"Don't touch me or I'll call mom!" Helena ran to the next couch.

"Don't worry, I'll tie you up and stick you in the closet and your mom won't miss you."

"No!" the child shouted, laughing.

"Oh yes!! Just let me catch you."

Helena ran toward the room with Barbara following her. The laughter of both was heard outside the door of her apartment.


	7. Nightmares

Voodoo walked inside the dark room. His father sat working with something between his hands, seated on an old wooden chair. He gave him a small bag with hair inside.

"Thanks, son," he said. "I will work my spell on this Voodoo doll. We must wear down her resistance by attacking her emotions. Indirectly, we can influence her—arouse five specific emotions within her that will work for us."

"The big bat wasn't with her, but he is after us too, I'm sure," Voodoo said.

"No problem my son; first her; we must bring her to feel her fear. These emotions must then culminate to bring her to the edge of despair. She will then be sufficiently weakened, and we can begin to seize control of her soul... and you will have a sacrifice for the dark gods."

The man hung a small doll of Batgirl that he had made on a big pot over a fire. He kneeled in front of it.

"We have now inflicted the Lady of the Bats' fear; it will make her weak, soon she will be defenseless."

* * *

Selina finished her make-up and looked at herself at the mirror. She was wearing an elegant blue dress. She loved that color. She gave the last brushes to her hair and stepped back again to see her reflection in the mirror.

Inside, she couldn't deny she was worried; she was not sure about Barbara as Helena's nanny that night. She knew she had work to do as Batgirl and had felt she would refuse her request. Maybe Helena had pressed her to do it. She was specialist in blackmailing people or convincing people to do what she wanted with her charm. She smirked to herself, well she had teacher; a good one: Selina.

But anyway, she shook her head; it was Barbara and it was not fair for her to take care of Helena when she could pay a nanny. She looked at her watch, Bruce would arrive for her in a few minutes. She took her phone and pressed the keys.

* * *

The red head picked up the phone and put it between her shoulder and her ear. "Yes?"

::Barbara?:: Selina said.

"Hi, what happened? I thought you were at a dinner." She was surprised by her call.

:: Would it be better to call a sitter for Helena? You have work to do patrolling the streets and, well, I don't fell good about knowing that Helena somehow convinced you to do this. "We still have time. I don't want to bother you.::

"Let me go!" Helena shouted, trying to free herself, Barbara had her held up with an arm around her waist to prevent her from touching the floor.

"Oh no, I have it all under control, don't worry." Barbara smiled.

::Sorry,:: Selina said ::I can't avoid worring, you have work to do and Helena...::

"Selina, come on..."

"Mom!! Help!" Helena shouted, annoyed.

"You know me," Barbara put the child against the coach and sat over her, holding her head down with her hand. "I deal with a lot of nasty people; if I can manage them, I can take care of her."

"I can't breathe!" Helena yelled.

"So, don't move." Barbara smirked.

::Is everything okay?::

"Yes, you know Helena, she is noisy sometimes."

::You can punish her if..::

"It's not necessary."

"Cheater!" Helena yelled, struggling unsuccessfully to free herslef. "I'm small and you are taking advantage because you are big!"

::Barbara, I don't want.:: Selina said on the phone.

"Look, go to your appointment, have a good time and enjoy it. I have it all under control." She smiled, wacthing Helena struggling under her.

The doorbell sounded.

"Time out!" Helena raised her head. "Pizza man!"

"A second Selina." She covered the speaker and stood up letting the child go. "Okay, go get it, the money is on the table.

The little brunette stood up as fast as she could and she ran to the door.

"Selina, seriously, enjoy your night."

:: Okay, thanks so much, Barbara.::

"Pleasure." She hung up the phone. She walked toward the kitchen and shouted, "Helena, don't open the box until the table is ready."

"**Whom**? Me?" the kid answered, opening the box to smell the pizza.

"Yes, you! Close that box!" She heard the Barbara's voice from the kitchen.

"Okay." Helena growled. How did she know what she was doing?

"And you know it's who, not whom."

"Got it!"

* * *

Barbara felt strange that night. She moved restlessly on her bed. Everytime she closed her eyes a nightmare appeared. That was not normal for her. She moved from one side to another, trying to sleep unsuccessfully; but the nightmares took over her dreams each time. She sat and felt her forehead covered with sweat. She took a kleenex off the night table and cleaned her face. She had never felt like this before. She saw Helena sleeping sprawled across the bed as usual.

The window crashed suddenly. The tall, black man known as Voodoo was there. She opened her eyes wide, it couldn't be. How he could know that she...?

"I found you..." he growled.

She needed think about that later. She stood up immediately and faced him. "What are you doing here?"

"Barbara?" Helena raised her head sleepily.

"Oh.." he laughed. "You have a daughter, maybe we can have a party here."

"Who is he?" the kid asked, sitting up on the bed.

"Move back Helena!" Barbara shouted.

He took a knife off his belt. "Now your time has come."

"I doubt it," she growled.

"Barbara?" Helena hugged the pillow, scared.

"Stay back!" Barbara shouted.

He moved his arm forward and tried to stab her. Helena screamed. Barbara moved quickly and hit him on his side with her elbow. He bent down and she used her knee to crush his jaw. Annoyed, he grabbed her by the waist and both fell to the floor and struggled.

"You are dead, Batgirl!" he groaned moving over her. He tried to stab her, but she held his hand with hers.

He growled when he felt teeth burying in his shoulder. Helena had jumped on him when she had seen him attacking Barbara. Annoyed, he stood up abruptly. The child fell onto the floor. She tried to crawl away, but he took her by her night shirt.

"Helena!" Barbara shouted.

He wrapped his strong arm around the girl and pressed his knife against her gut. "I can start with her first, Bats."

"No!" the red head yelled. "I'll do whatever you want!"

"Well, no, it depends." He smiled moving the knife against the girl's throat.

"Let me go!" Helena shouted.

"All right, all right!" Barbara stood up slowly. "You want me, take me with you. I promise to go with you, just let her go."

"A good offer," he laughed, "but... no, thanks."

"Helena!" the red head yelled.

She opened her eyes suddenly; her body was covered in sweat. She sat up, abruptly, on the bed and looked around. The room was empty. The window was closed. It took to her a few minutes to recover; it had been a nightmare, a terrible nightmare.

"Barbara? Do you have fleas?" Helena asked in a drowsy voice.

"What?" The redhead blinked.

"You move so much." The child yawned and rubbed her left eye.

"I... I'm sorry..." She sighed with relief knowing it had all been a nightmare and lay down, resting her head on the pillow.

Helena raised her face sleepily and crawled on the bed, letting her head fall heavily on Barbara's stomach, hugging her waist.

"Ouch, careful!" Barbara said.

A snore was her answer. The redhead rubbed her eyes and closed her eyes, trying to sleep and rest.

Sleep.

She just wanted to sleep.

* * *

Barbara opened the door. Selina was there.

"Hey, morning," the blonde said, giving her a kiss on her cheek. She observed her eyes. "You don't look well."

"Sorry. I didn't sleep well."

"Helena?"

"Oh no, I had nightmares. Come in; she was protesting because I kept her up."

"Well, it was your revenge." Selina smirked and walked inside.

"Want some coffee? Helena ate her breakfast and went to the bathroom."

"No thanks, I have a breakfast with some friends." She sat in the living room.

"Hey, busy social life. Helena, your mom is here!"

"I'm busy!" the child answered with a shout from the bathroom.

"You've been in there for two hours!" Barbara shouted back.

"I don't bother you when you are in the bathroom," the kid said.

"Whatever you are doing, finish it now! It's late!" Selina shouted to her.

"How was your dinner?" Barbara asked.

"Marvelous. He is marvelous." Selina curled one leg underneath herself. "Handsome, elegant..."

"Millionaire..." Barbara smirked.

"You know that is a plus."

"Yes, I know." The red head smiled. "Selina, you and Bruce had a very serious romance."

"It was long ago..."

"But he is interested in you. It's obvious."

"We are just friends now."

"Have..." Barbara was afraid to ask. She didn't know who was Helena's father and she had never wanted to ask. If Selina didn't tell her, then she respected that privacy. "Did he... ask you about Helena?"

"Well," Selina took a deep breath. It was a difficult topic. Inside, she felt guilty for not telling Barbara the truth yet. "He is a gentleman... he hasn't asked. And I hope he doesn't ask."

Barbara blinked.

"Why the hurry?" Helena walked in, interrupting the conversation before the redhead could ask something else.

"What were you doing?" Selina asked, opening her arms to her daughter.

"Brushing my hair." Helena went to her and gave her a kiss, hugging her.

"How is my kitten?" Selina hugged her back.

"I'm okay. We had pizza last night."

"Mmm... delicious."

"What did you have for dinner?" Helena took her cheeks between her hands and looked at her.

"Pasta and salad." Selina smiled.

"Can we eat pasta today?"

"Sure." Selina stood up and took her hand. "Now let's go, it's late and Barbara needs to go to work too."

"Thanks, Barbara," the child said, giving her a kiss.

"My pleasure, Helena." The red head smiled.

"Are we going to have class on Saturday?"

"Yes, we are almost finished, you are a very smart girl."

"Cool."

"Thanks, Barbara."

"No problem, Selina."

The phone rang.

"I got it!" Helena ran to it and picked it up. "Hello? Barbara? She is here... Helena, who are you?... Good morning, Mr. Gordon, a second." She smiled at Barbara. "Your dad."

"Thanks." The red head picked up the phone "Hi Dad... Sure... I'll see you at eight. Bye." She put the phone in its place.

"Want to come to dinner tonight?" Selina asked, standing up.

"No thanks, I just promised my dad to go to dinner with him."

"Bring him," Helena said.

"Not a good idea, Hel." Barbara smiled with sadness.

"Why not?"

"Her dad likes to have dinner with her alone," Selina explained "It's night for daddy and daughter."

"Maybe later," the kid said looking up to them.

"Yes, we can do it later. It's raining, use this." Selina put a raincoat on her and winked at Barbara. "See you later, Babs."

"See you."


	8. An unexpected question

Barbara had a pounding headache all day. She took some pills to try to ease it. She felt so tired too. Maybe she had caught a cold; it was raining hard over the city. She just wanted to go home and sleep, but she needed to prepare for Helena's school conference.

The conference.

She needed to finish the speech for the conference.

Where was the speech?

"Miss Gordon?" Her secretary opened the door of her office. "A man left this envelope for you a few minutes ago." She gave her a big yellow envelope and exited.

"Thanks." She took it and opened it. Batman had sent her a copy of a secret file from the University about the professors' plan regarding Vodoo; they thought Black Magic was a dangerous practice in countries like Haití. She read it carefully.

Her eyes stopped on a name, Damian Meltzer.

She knew him. He wasn't a professor at the University, but he was a specialist about Voodoo. He knew him; she looked at her watch, she was on time and she could make a fast visit to him. She took her suitcase and her coat.

* * *

Gibson and Helena were waiting for their parents at the school door with their backs against the brick wall. It was raining. Both had a lollipop in their mouth. It had been a good day. Helena had passed her exam with a B. Her mom would be happy now. She just needed to pass one more exam. Barbara was a good teacher, maybe some day she would be a professor at school.

"Helena, are your parents are divorced?" Gibson asked suddenly.

"Separated." Helena answered hugging her legs.

"It's the same, no?"

"I think so."

"Do you miss him?" He moved the lollipop out of his mouth and looked at it.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know him."

"No? Why not?"

"I think they separated when I was a baby because I don't remember him."

"And you have never seen a picture of him?"

Helena moved back and forth, thinking a few seconds. "No."

"Have you asked your mom?" Gibson asked curiously.

"No. You are asking too much," Helena said, annoyed.

"Maybe they don't want to see each other." Gibson seemed not to have heard her. "Your last name is Kyle. The same as your mother."

"I like my mom's name and I don't need him."

"And your mom never married again?"

"No, we don't need anyone else!" Helena shouted.

"Hey, don't be mad. I was just asking." Gibson protested.

"I don't like you asking." She raised her fist.

"All right, all right." He moved his hands to cover his face. "I just asked because it's curious."

"What is curious?"

"Your hair."

Helena blinked. "What about my hair?"

"You are a brunette!" Gibson peered at her from behind his hands.

"Yes, I'm brunette, so?"

"You mom is blonde."  
  
"Dork." She saw her mom's car and took her school bag, standing up. "See you later, Gibson."

"Bye, Helena," He said, exhaling hair, that had been close. He must remember not to piss her off frequently.

Helena walked toward the car and threw her school bag in the back seat. She sat, in a bad mood, on the front seat and slammed the door. Selena glared at her.

"And now?" the blonde woman asked.

"Bad day." She said putting on her seat belt.

"Exam?"

"No, B... It's Gibson.. he annoyed me." She looked through the window.

"B? Hey! That is excellent!" Selina drove the car down the street.

"I know." She sighed.

"Why did Gibson bother you?"

"It's nothing."

Selina raised her brow. She was definitely pissed; she wasn't was exactly sweet, better not to ask anymore.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you never marry again?" Helena asked, without moving her gaze from the window.

"Because you make me incredibly happy." Selina smiled and looked at her.

Helena turned her head and returned the smile.

"And I don't need anymore," the blonde woman added. "And I'm selfish, I want you only for me!" She tickled her.

Helena giggled. She was funny, she always made her laugh.

Hours later, Selina was watching a movie in the living room of her home, lying on the couch with her bare feet over the arm; she sipped a can of coke. She liked to watch movies on TV and that one was a classic-- "Casablanca."

Helena was on the floor building a house with her Legos. Watching old pictures was not her favorite past time and, outside, it was raining. All afternoon it had been raining.

Helena finished the walls of her house, now she needed to do the roof. "Mom?"

"Yes?" Selina answered distractedly.  
  
"Who was dad?"

"Dad of who?"

"My dad." Helena tried to look nonchalant. Her mother always avoided talking about that topic.

Selina sighed; she didn't like to talk about it. If Helena knew who he was... she would have to tell him too; and her biggest fear was that people would know who her father was. It would be trouble... First, just the fact that she was the daughter of a millionaire was a risk. Second, because if Batman's enemies ever discovered that he had a daughter, they would take revenge against him using her child. And she preferred to sacrifice her love for him to protect her.

The kid waited for her answer. The silence in the room was a signal that her mom didn't want to answer her again. Helena lowered her head and began to look for her Legos. She wondered why her mother never wanted to talk with her about him.

"Do you have a picture of him?" Helena asked after a few seconds.

"No," Selina said. She tried to find an exit without hurting her.

"Why not?"

"He doesn't like pictures."

Helena turned to look at her. "He knows me?"

Selina rubbed her eyes with her hand. "Why the topic?"

"I just want know. Why is my last name yours and not his?" Helena fixed her pupils on her mother.

Selina sighed. She closed her eyes. This was so difficult; she sat on the coach and looked at her, she didn't want to see her sad. "Because I don't need anyone else to take care of you; because I have fought alone since the beginning for you, to give you the best. Do you think that I haven't given you enough? Do you think that you need something else?"

"No."

"Do you think I haven't given you enough love?"

Helena shook her head feeling guilty. Maybe she had hurt her.

Suddenly, Selina stood up and took her by the waist and loaded her over her shoulder.

"Hey!" the kid shouted surprised.

Selina walked to the door and opened it.

"Mom?" Helena asked. "Where are you going?"

The woman walked inside the elevator and pressed the button to the lower floor. A neighbor was inside. The old man looked at the woman and the kid, stunned. Helena blushed; Selina smiled at him. "Afternoon, Mr. Harris."

"Afternoon, Miss Kyle."

"We are going for a walk."

"Oh... I see."

"Mom, you don't have shoes on and neither do I," the kid said, the moment that the door opened and Selina walked toward the street. Helena looked outside. "Mom!! It's raining!"

Selina walked out, the rain was falling harder. People were walking outside with umbrellas and long coats.

"Ewww!!!" Helena yelled, feeling the drops on hr back. She struggled, but Selina held her still. "It's cold! Mom!"

"Tell me who loves you?" Selina asked in a loud voice.

"You! Put me down!"Helena shouted.  
  
"I can't hear you." Selina laughed and crossed the street to a park that was in front of the building.

"You, you love me!"

"I can't hear you!"

"You, mom!" Helena shouted, giggling. "You!"

Selina ran on the grass and raised her head feeling the cold drops on her face. She puther daughter down and she raised her head opening her mouth and stretching her arms.

"Mom, it's raining!" Helena said, making small hops as she felt the cold, wet grass under her feet.

"Feel it!" Selina told her.

"I'm feeling it! It's cold!" the kid protested.

"Don't be grumpy and feel it, open your arms and taste it."

"We don't have shoes." Helena moved her bare foot over her other one rubbing her arms.

"Helena Kyle!"

The kid moved her feet down "Itches..."

Selina took her again by the waist and, picking her up, she began to walk.

"Now what?" Helena looked up and opened her eyes wide. "The fountain?? No Mom!"

"Okay, tell me again who loves you?" Selina laughed and carried her to the fountain in the park.

"You! Mom, stop!" Helena fought, but her mother was stronger and, suddenly, both were inside the fountain.

"Mom!!! It's cold!" the little brunette yelled.

"Grumpy!"

"You are crazy!" Helena used her hands and began to throw water at her mother, who laughed and began to do the same; Helena giggled and began to run in circles to avoid the water.

Selina finally caught her by the waist to stop her.

Both giggled in the middle of the park, while the people walking by couldn't avoid a smile watching them play in the rain.


	9. A dinner with dad

Voodoo was more than annoyed. He was expecting to finish his revenge in a few days and Batgirl had screwed up all his plans hiding his next victims. He had failed looking for his next three victims. He went to the old building where he and his father were hiding. He walked downstairs and went to his father's room.

He opened the door. The old man was reading a book.

"Father. The Lady of the Bats saved Damian Meltzer. When I arrived, he had disappeared."

"Don't worry, my son. My magic works."

"But she..." Voodoo said.

"Just be patient. Fear and hallucinations; let it work. And enjoy our revenge." The old man stood up and looked at the Batgirl doll hanging on a rope from the ceiling.

"But when will I know that..."

"Patience, son, patience. In a few days, she will be in our hands." He smiled evilly taking a needle, which he buried in the back of the neck of the doll.

* * *

"Dad she is just a kid." Barbara said, trying not to annoy her father during the dinner. She played with the pasta with her fork. They were in an Italian restaurant that was lit with dim lights.

"Barbara, this is about her." Commissioner Gordon took a sip of his wine.  
  
"You don't have proof that she is Catwoman."

"I'm worried for your reputation; it's a secret that everybody knows. You have worked so hard and all will..."

"I don't care what people say. She is my friend. And Helena is just an innocent child; she tries to be nice with you and, every time you see her, you are so cold, she is a child!" Barbara shook her head "She is innocent."

"Barbara, I fought many years against her mother." Gordon moved back in his chair. "I lost many nights with you, many parties, many family moments because I was in my office trying to the city safe from people like her! That doesn't matter to you? She represents crime... the underworld."

"You don't know if she is really Catwoman and, Dad, if she is, she quit everything more than ten years ago. She paid for what she did."

"I can't believe that."

Barbara touched his hand. "Just give her an opportunity to show you who she really is."

He shook his head, he was not convinced of all that. She didn't understand his fight against the crime that he had done all his life: it was a stupid thing to ruin the night just over that woman and her kid.

It was hard to discuss that topic. They always had disagreed about it. Barbara felt the pressure of her father against her; she loved him so much and she didn't want to have disagreements with him because of her friendship with Selina. She suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of her head.

"Something is wrong, Barbara?" Gordon asked, looking at his daughter, who had suddenly supported her elbows on the table and had lowered her head. She was holding her head in her hands.

"It's just a headache," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Are you sure?" He touched her shoulder.

"Yes, I haven't felt well today." She raised her head slowly. "I couldn't sleep last night, nightmares."

"Want to come back home?"

"No, no, Dad, I just need to take some pills and I'll be okay."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want..." Gordon apologized.

"Forget it, Daddy." Barbara smiled. "I love to be with you."

"I love that too. Tell me how your work is going."

"Oh, today, I contracted a fabulous woman that is an expert on ancient books."

* * *

She climbed the rooftop easily. She had heard a report about a robbery inside a jewelry store. And it was right. She saw a vehicle parked in front of it and three people dressed in black, taking boxes inside the van.

She jumped down and landed on one of the thugs, surprising them. She knocked him out with a punch. The other thug walked outside the store and saw Batgirl in front of him. She kicked him and he fell, dropping the box in his hands, the jewels rolled on the ground.

The third man, who was inside the jewelry store, heard the noise and ran outside. He saw her and took out a knife. He tried to stab her, but she ducked and, spinning, she hit him with the back of her hand.

The man that was on the ground stood up and tried to punch her, but she blocked his fist with her arm and smashed her elbow on his jaw.

A shot was heard. She felt a blow on her back that pushed her against the wall. A man that was inside the van and that she had missed had moved out and shot her.

She grabbed her shoulder and slipped down the wall. Feeling warmth on her fingers, she understood that she had been hurt. The thieves took the opportunity and, as fast as they could, they climbed inside the van and escaped.

Batgirl moved her hand and looked at her wound on her left shoulder. The bullet had exited by her front side; it hurt. She heard the sirens of the police in the distance and, supporting herself on her good arm, she stood up hesitantly. She walked slowly into an alley.

She parked her motorcycle inside the building; using the secret entrance she walked inside her apartment. As soon as she stepped into her bedroom she collapsed. She needed help; she needed to call Dr. Leslie Tomkins.

The light in the room turned on.

"Angel?"

Barbara blinked, surprised, and turned her head to the bed. Helena was there.

"Helena?" she frowned. What was she doing there?

Helena stood up. "What are you doing here?"

Batgirl froze and raised her head, she hadn't expected that. "What are you doing here?"

"You are hurt." Helena noticed the blood on the carpet and kneeled on the floor, scared.

"Damn!" Batgirl growled feeling a sharp pain in her shoulder. "I know... Helena, why are you here?"

"Barbara is taking care of me tonight, but she needed to go out a few minutes; she said she would come back soon:"

Batgirl let her head fell back, everything was spinning. "Get me some cloths," she said to the girl; she had forgotten that she was there. Stupid.

Helena ran to the bathroom, while Barbara removed her cape and her gloves.

"What happened to you?" The girl returned with a towel in her hands.

"A little fight, but I'll be okay." She took the towel and put it on her wound. Her mind was blurry, she had lost a lot of blood.

"I'll call an ambulance," Helena said.

"No, no, wait... I need your help."

"Sure..."

"First, let me move to the bed..." The red head tried to stand up but she couldn't, she was very nauseous.

Helena tried to help her, unsuccessfully; her angel was too heavy. She was frightened by the blood and Batgirl noticed that. "Don't worry Hel, I'll be okay." She put a towel on her back and the other one in front of her wound.

"What do I do?"

Barbara supported her weight on her good arm and looked at her. "Inside Barbara's night table, there is an address book, call Leslie Tomkins, tell her to come here... tell her that Batgirl needs help..."

"Right." She ran to the night table and did as her angel told her. Batgirl let her head fall to the floor and closed her eyes, everything was so blurry.

Helena picked up the phone and dialed. The doctor had a hard time trying to calm her down so she could understand what was happening.

::Okay, Helena,:: Leslie said :: Take a pillow and put it under her head. Cover the wound with a cloth and I'll be there immediately. Don't be afraid if she passed out, all right? She might pass out if she is losing so much blood.::

"Right." She put the phone to the side and took the pillow. She kneeled next to her.

"Angel?" she asked, but the woman wasn't moving. She shook her gently, but she didn't respond. "Angel, are you all right?" Maybe she had passed out as the doctor had said.

She moved the pillow next to her and gently she raised her head. She put it on the pillow. She noticed the cowl over her head had moved. She tried to put it back in its place, but she needed to move her head again; she tried to do it gently, but as she moved it she could see a bit more of her face. She released her head and moved back, surprised.

She took again the cowl with her hands and slowly took it off her head. "Barbara?" she mumbled and crawled back. How it could be? Her angel was Barbara? She sat frozen, looking at her stunned.

Barbara moved her head slowly; she half opened her eyes and stared at the girl. She had passed out? She swallowed and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she tried to sit.

"No!" Helena said, suddenly.

"Helena?"

The kid crawled toward her, watching her without believe what was she seeing. "Leslie says you shouldn't move. She is coming."

"Okay..." She moved her head back and closed her eyes.

"Why are you hurt?" Helena sat next to her and pressed the cloth on her wound. The red head whimpered. Helena moved her hand back.

"It's okay..." Barbara said. "You are doing well, press it."

Helena did as she said with one hand and with the other one she brushed her hair.

Barbara opened her eyes suddenly. Her cowl. She took her hand to her face and looked at Helena surprised. They gazed at each other in silence a few seconds.

"I'm sorry," Helena said in a low voice, "It moved when I tried to put your head on the pillow. I didn't want..."

"Damn..." The redhead closed her eyes again.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry, Helena... don't worry." She caressed her cheek.

"I was fighting against some thieves and one of them shot me. I didn't see him." She smiled at her. "See? I'm not an angel."

Helena leaned over and hugged her. "You are."

Batgirl tried to respond but she felt herself falling into a deep hole again.

* * *

The redhead opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the ceiling. She blinked. She was in her room. She looked at her arm and noticed it was okay; she sat up on the bed, where was the wound?. She looked around and stood up moving the blankets to the side.

"Helena?"

She opened her bedroom door and looked for her. The apartment was empty. She stood up in front of a mirror and looked at herself. She was okay. She shook her head, it had been another strange nightmare. She sat on a chair in the kitchen. She felt so tired after those nightmares. So tired. She covered her face with her hands and rubbed her temples.


	10. Confrontation

**Thanks for all your post and comments, make me feel happy that yu liked this fic that is just an attempt to try to imagine how the past of the birds could be...**

* * *

That afternoon, Barbara walked into the living room with a tray with glasses and water. She noticed Helena was playing with her pencil absentmindedly. She was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and her arms on the living room table.

The redhead looked at her again... that look. That familiar look that she had seen before. She shook her head, she was dreaming.

"Something is worrying you, Helena?" She sat on the floor next to Helena.

"Barbara, what's your dad like?" She looked at her.

"Well, he is nice, gentle; very smart. He likes to work."

"And your mom?"

"I don't have a mom." Barbara smiled.

"You don't have a mom?" The child raised her head.

"No, I lost my mother in an automobile accident when I was a preschooler," Barbara rested her back on the couch "I... I almost don't remember her, I was very small."

"Don't remember her?"

"No, I just know her from pictures, she was a very beautiful woman." She pointed to a picture on her mantle. "That is my mom."

"May I see her?"

"Sure."

Helena went to the portrait and took it between her hands. It was a couple smiling and a baby between them. "This is you?" she asked her.

"Yes."

Helena sat next to Barbara again. "You were cute."

"I am cute," the red head said.

"And who is he?"

"That is my dad."

"Your dad?" Helena raised her brow. "He is not your dad. He looks different."

Barbara took a deep breath and took the portrait in her hands. "He is my dad, after mom died, I slowly lost him; the grief took him to alcoholism."

"He died?"

"Yes, he died. It was too much for him to lose my mother." The red head moved her finger over the face of her mother in the picture. "It was not nice living with him after that. The alcohol made him angry and violent. He spent almost all day behind a bottle. I remember escaping to go see my friend Marcy to avoid thinking about him."

Helena couldn't believe what she was hearing. She rested her head on Barbara's shoulder and looked at the picture again.

"It's ironic." Barbara mumbled, remembering. "Mom was killed by an alcoholic and my dad died because of the alcohol. I hate alcohol."

"Who is he?" Helena asked, referring to Gordon.

"I was fourteen and I couldn't live alone, so I had to move from Ohio and come here to live with my Uncle James and Aunt Barbara. He is my uncle, but I he's like a father to me." Barbara's mind moved back to those sad years of her childhood.

Silence filled the place. Helena thought about her mother and about how many times she had asked her about her father; maybe not too much. She gave her everything; but sometimes she was curious to know and especially since many of her friends talked about them.

"Mom never wants to talk about dad," Helena whispered, suddenly.

"Mm?" Barbara moved her arm and put it around Helena's shoulder.

"She never wants to talk about him. Do you know him?"

"Your dad?" Barbara looked down at her.

The kid nodded; she had her gaze lost in the portrait.

"No, she has never told me, and, well... I don't want to ask. It's something that she alone must tell me. I respect her reasons."

"Mom is blonde," Helena noted. "I'm brunette, he must be a dark haired man."

Barbara moved her close and hugged her with both arms.

"She doesn't want to tell me," Helena continued, "she just told me she wanted an angel from the sky to be her daughter and that I'm here."

"That is sweet."

"Barbara, babies don't come down from the sky." Helena rolled her eyes. "Come on!"

"I know," Barbara hit her head playfully, "but she is telling you that the thing that she most deserved in life was you."

"I know... but... at least you have a picture of them." Helena sighed. "I don't have any idea what he looks like. I can't ever talk about him because I don't know anything about him."

"If she doesn't want to tell you, it must be for a very important reason. I'm sure that when you are old enough, she will tell you. Trust her."

"I guess so."

"Well, your mom has dates with very handsome men, I'm sure he is very handsome, for that reason you are so beautiful." She kissed her forehead.

"Yes, I'm beautiful." Helena nodded.

Barbara laughed. "The most important is that you have her with you and that she loves you so much; you can touch her, say her that you love her... I can't, I would wish could hug my mom once, but I can't."

"I'm sorry." Helena looked up to her.

"Sorry?"

"About your mom and dad."

"Don't worry, Helena, that was a long time ago."

"I wouldn't like to lose my mom."

"No one likes to lose their parents."

"Yes," the child said.

"Well, time's up." Barbara smiled. "Could we continue our class?"

"Okay."

"Put this picture back in its place." She gave the kid the picture frame. 

Helena took it and went to the mantle.

Barbara put over the table a scrabble game.

"A game?" the child asked when she saw it.

"Playing games can help develop skills at being a team player," Barbara explained, putting a scrabble game on the table. "They can build arithmetic and problem solving abilities, and improve reading skills; games are also a good source of family entertainment."

"Using scrabble?" Helena looked at her.

"Put the letter tiles in the bag and mix them up."

Helena obeyed and shook her head. "My mom sent me here to study, not to play scrabble."

"I made a mistake with you," the red head said, opening the game board.

"A mistake?" Helena shook the bag.

"Yes I was teaching you as if you were a high school student and that was a mistake. Now take seven tiles and place them on your rack." Barbara took a rack for herself. "All words are permitted with the exception of the following: words that are always capitalized, abbreviations, prefixes and suffixes standing alone, words requiring a hyphen or an apostrophe, but, if you use an adverb, I'll give you ten points more. The one that wins the game gets a free pizza with extra cheese for herself."

Helena opened wide her eyes. "A pizza just for me?"

"Yes, but only if you win, and maybe I can win, because if I use and adverb, I also get ten points more."

"Why?"

"I want you to try to think of and use adverbs," the red head explained, "and this is the only way to do it. Tempting you with food."

Helena glared at her. "Not funny."

"But it's a reality."

"You are cheating," Helena protested. "What's an adverb?"

"An adverb is a word that modifies verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. For example: He is working quickly; he is working carefully; he is working hard; he is working hurriedly. Quickly, carefully, hard, fast, hurriedly" are all adverbs."

"I'm learning slowly."

"That's an adverb, too," she said looking at her letter tiles. "Most adverbs have -ly at the end: newnewly; happyhappily; quickquickly."

"I'm a goody-- is that an adverb?" The child scratched her head.

"No, that is a mistake. Don't invent words, think."

Helena looked at her game and moved some pieces on her rack. She raised her eyes and looked at Barbara. "Slowly?"

"Right... so you have... twenty three points plus ten, because it's an adverb.. so you get thirty three points."

"Great!!" The child clapped.

"Recently." Barbara moved her word onto the board "This is 39 plus 10 because it's an adverb too... so forty nine for me."

"That is cheating!" Helena kneeled on the floor.

"No," Barbara smiled. "Listen: Frank worked more yesterday, it tells us WHEN; They work well together, it tells us HOW; Steve works here, it tells us WHERE. Those are adverbs too; pay attention to that and you will have an adverb."

"You never told me that."

"I'm, telling you now. Think what words you can form."

"Maybe?" the child asked.

"No, adverbs give information about the time, place, and manner of the action."

"Next!!" Helena smiled and took her pieces.

"Next... no!!"

"Yes!! It's an adverb!."

"Next is not an adverb!" Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Next week, next Monday, it answers the "When"" Helena smirked. This time she had been smart.

"Very funny, Miss Know-it-all. But we need the complete phrase. That's and adverbial phrase, not adverb. In other words, those words work together to function as an adverb."

"But I just have "next"."

"Find another one."

"Next was good." Helena said.

"Forget it. Adverbs can be used to compare actions: Frank works more **quickly** than Steve, Steve works more **carefully** than Frank."

The kid looked at her pieces in silence and thought what to do; but the game was hard. "I don't have a word."

"Think carefully, Helena." Barbara told her. "Adverbs can be used to modify adjectives too: Paul is a very good worker, Sandy is frequently busy."

"Oh, I understand." The kid bit her lip and looked at the red head "But I don't have words here."

"Okay. Let's try something else. Adverbs can be used to join two clauses together: Paul went to the store, **then** he went to the post office; I should have studied; **instead**, I went to a movie."

Helena looked again her game "I have "then"," she said.

"Okay, do it."

The child put her word down and took more pieces.

"Well done, you are getting it. Remember some adverbs are irregular: Fastfast; goodwell; earlyearly. Twenty six points plus ten are thirty six."

"I have "early"."

"Okay, so wait your turn, it's mine now."

"Good." Helena excitedly looked at the board.

Barbara smiled, she finally had her complete attention.

"Barbara, may I ask you a question?" The child played with her rack.

Barbara moved her eyeglasses down and glared ather. "No questions out of topic."

"We are studying grammar... but what is grammar? It's like, so lame."

"The Hint Academy says that English grammar is an "art". The art of speaking and writing the English language in a correct way. If English grammar is taught, it improves the way people speak and communicate; and there will exist more words than slang terms."

"You're the bomb." Helena giggled.

"Yes, that." Barbara pointed at her with her pencil.

"All that and a bag a chips."

"Word." Barbara smiled.

"You are my homey," the kid said. 

"And you are my headache."

"That is not slang."

"But it's reality." The red head raised her brow.

"Barbara?"

The red head a male voice at her back. She turned her head. "Dad?" She removed her glasses. What was he doing there?

The old man glared at the child who was seated next to her daughter. He couldn't hide his anger.

"What are you doing here?" She stood up, surprised. She hadn't heard him.

"What is she doing here?" he asked with cold voice, looking at Helena.

Barbara stood up. "I'm helping her in English."

Helena looked the red head and frowned.

He shook his head. "I though you understood."

"Understood?"

"We talked about this a few nights ago," he said, exasperated.

"Barbara?" Helena was confused and scared.

"Shut up, you!" he yelled at the child.

"Don't shout at her!" Barbara said angrily.

"I don't want to see you near my daughter!" he pointed at Helena and walked toward her.

Helena looked at Barbara, frightened.


	11. Hallucinations

"Barbara?" Helena was confused and scared.

"Shut up, you!" he yelled at the child.

"Don't shout at her!" Barbara said angrily.

"I don't want to see you near my daughter!" he pointed at Helena and walked toward her.

Helena looked at Barbara, frightened.

Barbara stood up in his way to prevent him from touching the kid. "Don't touch her."

Helena didn't understand what was happening and moved back.

"She is the daughter of a criminal!" he growled.

"I'm not going to discuss this in front of her. I'd really appreciate it if you go and we can talk about this later."

"What?" He was surprised. "Are you asking me to leave? You want your own father to leave for that...?"

"Please."

"Barbara..." Helena mumbled. "What's happening?"

"Stay back!" she said to the kid.

Helena crawled back until the couch stopped her.

"Please go." She went to the door and opened it.

Helena, disconcerted, took her notebook and ran to the door.

"Not you!" Barbara said, stopping her with her hand. "Dad."

"Who?" Helena asked.

"Him." Barbara pointed at her father.

Helena looked down the corridor. "But, Barbara, there isn't anyone here."

"What?" She looked at the kid and then at the place where her father had been. It was empty. She blinked.

"You're scaring me," the little brunette said softly.

Barbara went to the kitchen and looked inside. "He was here," she said.

"Who was here?"

"My father." The red head was stunned.

"Barbara, you started to talk to yourself suddenly." Helena said to her, she was worried. "Are you joking with me?"

"Did you see my father here?" Barbara asked the girl, pacing. "He had a brown coat and a white shirt."

"We are alone... nobody was here..." The child played with her hands nervously. "Are you ok?"

"I'm all right..." the red head mumbled ,"just bring me a glass of water..." She felt her eyelids closing and put her hand on Helena's shoulder. "Just water..." she felt her mind twisting and she grabbed the back of the coach so she wouldn't fall.

Helena was very frightened scare as Barbara's face paled. "Barbara?" She touched her.

Barbara's eyes rolled back and she passed out.

* * *

A disgusting smell that forced Barbara to return from the darkness. She moved her head to the side, but the smell followed her; she tried to push whatever it was far from her nose with her hand.

"Easy," a female voice said.

Again, the smell was under her nose and she half opened her eyes, trying to focus, feeling a big headache. She groaned softly, taking her hand to her forehead.

"Are you all right?" the voice asked.

She blinked and she could see a blonde woman in front of her. "Selina?"

"Are you okay?" the woman asked again, putting a cold cloth over her forehead.

"What are you doing here?" the red head said, still stunned.

"You scared the hell out Helena." Selina was seated on the mattress next to her.

"Me...? I don't remember."

"She said you began to argue with yourself and suddenly you passed out."

"Sorry, I," Barbara tried to remember, "Where is she?"

Selina changed the cloth on her forehead, "Watching television in the living room; she called me, really scared, and I came as fast as I could. What happened to you?"

"I don't remember." Barbara took her hand to her forehead.

"Helena said you started to talk alone... with your father?"

The red head took a deep breath. "Yes, he was here... I remember now; we argued and..."

"You argued with him?"

"Yes, he was mad with me. He yelled and I asked him to leave my apartment..."

"Helena said you were talking to yourself." Selina fixed her eyes on her.

"She told me that too." Barbara tried to remember again, step by step, what had happened "I thought she was playing, but when I turned to see my father he had disappeared, he had gone, like a ghost. I was confused."

"Helena thought for a moment you were yelling at her." Selina bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want..." Barbara felt ashamed of herself. "I was talking with him! I could see him!" She moved her head back. "And suddenly he was not there. It's confusing."

"I called Leslie, she said she will be here at seven." Blue eyes stared in green ones.

"Why did you call her? I'm all right."

"You told me you can't sleep well at night and, lately, you look tired every time I see you. Now you are arguing with people who aren't there and pass out. I think you are stressed, you need to work less and calm down. Do you have a problem?"

The young woman sighed. "I had been so distracted with Voodoo."

"Voodoo?" Selina frowned.

Barbara moved the pillows and sat up on the bed. "Voodoo is a criminal that uses his black magic against other people. Sometimes he can induce them to do things that they normally couldn't do it through his magic."

"I heard about some 'suicides' in the past few days."

"They are not suicides, he killed some professors from the University;" Barbara explained. "I know it's him because I surprised him inside the house of one of his victims. He escaped, but I saw him. Batman and I could protect the rest of the possible victims, but we can't keep them hidden all the time. We need to trap Voodoo."

"And that is bothering you." Selina shook her head.

"Yes..."

"The problem with you, with all crime fighters, is that you want solve all the problems of the world and sometimes it's impossible." The blonde tried to be philosophical. "You are doing your work, but you can't force your body and take it to extremes; it just affects you and doesn't help anyone. You can't think clearly or fight well if you are tired or not in good conditions." She smirked. "To that point, "we" the bad guys are better; we take our time. We like to enjoy life."

"I would like to do it but..."

"Nah! Excuses, excuses young lady." She waved her hands. "You always invent an excuse to say you are busy. If it's not this Voodoo guy, it's Penguin, or Riddler or... was "Me"."

Barbara smiled lightly.

"Am I lying?" Selina raised her brow, crossing her arms on her legs.

"No, you are right."

"So... why don't you try to think of yourself for just one day?" The blonde stood up and looked around. "Go out, meet a handsome boy, have a crazy night; go to the movies, drink, run nude in the place that you think is most crazy, I don't know! Just live!"

"You are crazy."

Selina leaned over her. "You are young, don't work all day. Someday you will open you eyes and find that you are alone. Find someone to share your life."

Barbara gazed at her in silence a few seconds. "And you? Do you do that?"

The older woman didn't expect the question and moved back. She walked toward the wall holding her arms, thinking in silence. She turned her back to the red head. After a few seconds she turned her head to her. "I'm doing it," she finally said, "And it's a wonderful feeling."

They heard knocks on the door.

"Come in," Selina said, opening the door that was next to her. She saw her daughter's face, which looked at her expectantly.

"Speaking of the king of Rome..." Selina smiled. "She is awake Hel, come in."

The kid moved her head slowly and looked over at the bed.

"Hi, come in Helena," Barbara said to her.

"Are you okay?" the child asked, walking slowly inside.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She patted the bed.

Helena sat.

"Do you forgive me?" the red head asked.

"Oh... it's just that you... you worried me." Helena had been paralyzed when she saw her lying unmoving on the carpet. For a moment, she thought she was dead; the only thing she could think of was to call her mother, who had been in her house cleaning the attic.

"I scared you, I'm sorry." Barbara looked at her deep blue eyes, "I think Selina is right... and I'm stressed. Maybe I have been working so much."

"But you are okay now."

"Yes. I'm okay."

The doorbell was heard. Selina went to the door. "Must be Leslie," she said. "I'll be right back."

"Mom said that you need rest." The kid said with sadness. "Maybe I need to cancel your speech at school on Monday."

"Of course not." Barbara smiled.

"But you are sick."

"I'm just a bit tired. I'll be okay next week. I just need a few hours of sleep. And we will finish our English classes, just three more to go."

Helena felt a relief inside her. "I'm glad to hear that because I don't think anyone else wants to give me classes."

"I should take that as a compliment?"

"All the teachers say that I ask too many questions and that I don't pay attention." The child lowered her head and looked at her fingers.

"That is true."

"No, it's not..."

The red head glared to her.

"Well... just a bit." Helena finally said, feeling the redhead's firm gaze on her.

"Afternoon, Babs." Dr. Tomkins greeted her from the door. "I hate our meetings, they are always are in a hospital or in situations like this." She walked inside and put her bag on the night table.

"I'm sorry, Les." Barbara smiled, "Thanks for coming."

"Hey, little monster, how are you?" The old woman leaned over Helena and took her chin. "What did you do now?"

"Nothing," Helena said.

"She is telling the truth," Barbara explained, touching Helena's hand "She helped me, she called her mom."

"Oh, that's good." Tomkins put her hands on her waist looking at the kid "I think that you deserve a reward."

"A reward?"

"Yes." She raised her hands. "I have a surprise in my white coat, one pocket has a gift and the other one is empty; choose a pocket."

Helena smiled and stood up in front of the doctor looking her pockets.

"Which do you choose?" Dr. Tomkins asked.

"The right one."

"Take it."

The child moved her hand inside and took out a bag of pop tarts. Her face shone with happiness. "Thanks, Dr. Tomkins!"

"Pleasure, now go to watch cartoons while I check our friend, right?"

"Right," said the girl running outside the room.

"She is lucky," Selina said. "She always guess where you have it."

"Oh no," Leslie smirked and took out another bag of pop tarts that was inside her left pocket, "I always have both full."

"Oh, that was..." Selina smirked.

"Smart." Leslie interrupted and took Barbara's hand. "Now, let's see what's wrong with you Gordon."


	12. Missing

Leslie recommended Barbara rest the weekend. She slept the rest of the day, but it was far from restful. The nightmares invaded her dreams. She woke up many times shivering at night. All those dreams were so real. She tried to control herself, but it was becoming more difficult.  
  
So difficult..  
  
Sunday morning she was exhausted; she barely slept and thought it was best to stay in bed all day. Maybe Leslie was right and she needed to ask for some vacation time; the stress was overwhelming her; but it was hard to stop working knowing a murderer was free, walking the streets. She closed her eyes once more trying to sleep. Suddenly, she heard the door to her room opening.  
  
"Morning Barbara, how do you feel?" Selina appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Selina? What are you doing here?" The red head sat up in her bed.  
  
Selina put her bag on a chair and sat next to her on the bed. She touched the redhead's hand and smiled. "Sorry, I took your keys yesterday" Selina raised them in her left hand, "I wanted to be sure you are okay. You worried me. How do you feel?"  
  
"Much better," Barbara said. She looked through the open door. "Helena is here?"  
  
"No, I left her at home. You need rest, Leslie said that." The blonde smiled gently. "I brought you lunch. It's in the kitchen. I think it's better if you don't do anything."  
  
"I think you are exaggerating this." The red head covered her eyes with her hand. She didn't like anyone to take care of her. It make feel her useless. "I'm okay."  
  
"I don't think so. You are working too hard." Selina rubbed her arm, soothingly. "Try to relax."  
  
"I am trying."  
  
"You need to take care for yourself."  
  
"Maybe you are right about that."  
  
"Just relax."  
  
The red head closed her eyes feeling the soft pillow under her head. "Maybe you and Leslie are right."  
  
"Have you thought of quitting?"  
  
"Quit?"  
  
"Quit being Batgirl."  
  
Barbara opened her eyes and looked at her. "No."  
  
"Maybe you need to. Quit that damn crazy job. Enjoy your life." Selina said with a soft voice. She moved her hand to Barbara's head and brushed her hair. "Barbara, you are so young; you need to live and every night you play with your life."  
  
"I can't, Selina," the red head said. "This is my life; I always dreamed about this. Helping people, be useful."  
  
"Useful to whom?" Selina raised an eyebrow. "You kick some ass tonight; you put three guys in jail, and tomorrow three more are free."  
  
"Maybe," Barbara sighed, "But I can help to change lives; I can stop an injustice. Any murder that can I stop makes my work worthwhile."  
  
"You need to stop." Selina fixed her eyes on her.  
  
"I can't." She didn't understand. Many innocent lives depended on her work as Batgirl.  
  
"You need... to stop."  
  
"I'm sorry. I can't."  
  
Selina moved her hand off her forehead to her throat, suddenly, and squeezed. The redhead was surprised and tried to move, but Selina was faster and climbed over her, grabbing Barbara's hands with her free one.  
  
"If you won't stop, I'll stop you!" the blonde woman shouted.  
  
"Selina!" She saw her eyes had turned feral.  
  
"Don't force me to do it!"  
  
"Selina!Stop!"  
  
"No! You need to stop!" Selina shouted.  
  
Barbara struggled to free herself from the grip, but the older woman pressed harder. She felt she couldn't breathe and opened her mouth, trying to take air to her lungs.  
  
The ringing of the phone woke her up. Barbara sat up abruptly, sweating and breathing heavily. Again, it had been a nightmare. It took her a moment to recover her breath. She moved her hand hesitantly and picked up the phone.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
::Barbara?:: She heard Selina's voice. ::Good afternoon.::  
  
"Selina?" she blinked.  
  
::Are you okay?::  
  
Barbara looked around, stunned.  
  
::Babs?::  
  
"I'm okay. I was,.. I was sleeping." The red head moved back to her pillow.  
  
::Oh, I'm sorry I woke you.::  
  
"No, it's okay... I need to take a shower anyway."  
  
::Barbara, do you feel all right?::  
  
"Yes, I feel much better today, it was just... fatigue." She heard some yelling, she recognized Helena's voice.  
  
::A second:: Selina said ::Wait, Helena... Barbara give me a second... Oh, ok, Barbara, Helena says don't forget tomorrow is your presentation at her school.::  
  
"Oh sure, I'll be there on time, eight am."  
  
::Okay, rest and if you need anything, call me. I'll be here at home....:: The conversation was interrupted by a tiny voice ::No, no hamburgers, Helena... No... wait, I'm talking with Barbara, damn, a second, Babs.::  
  
The redhead heard voices and, suddenly steps running, finally, a door closing.  
  
::Sorry, Barbara, I had to get her out of my room.:: Selina said, picking up the phone again.  
  
"Don't worry, Selina. Thanks for your call."  
  
::Would you like me to bring you lunch?::  
  
"No, I have frozen food in the fridge."  
  
::Well, I hope you really rest today and don't work.::  
  
"I'll do it."  
  
::If not, I'll kick your ass.:: Selina joked.  
  
Barbara heard Helena's tiny voice again, telling her mother not to say bad words.  
  
::I can say that because I'm older than you!:: Selina shouted ::And if you don't move your little ass out of here, you're going to get a spanking! Understand?::  
  
Barbara laughed.

* * *

The next day, Selina drove her car toward Helena's school. She parked in front of it, waiting for her kid, while she opened her calendar and checked her schedule for the afternoon. She had an appointment at six and another at seven thirty. Maybe she could move the appointment from seven thirty to five o'clock.  
  
Helena opened the door, she threw her school bag in the back seat, and sat next to her mother; she closed the door furiously.  
  
Selina glared at her. That was a sign that the child was in bad mood. "Hey, car doors can break too. What's the matter with you?"  
  
"I'm angry, I don't want to talk to anyone." Helena grumbled, slipping down in the seat.  
  
"Not even to me?"  
  
"Not even to you!"  
  
"Okay." Selina said and moved her hand back. She took a plastic bag and, opening it, she took Jaçques out of it and put the stuffed cat in between the seats..  
  
"What is he doing there?" Helena asked, sitting up again on the seat.  
  
"Jaçques, tell Helena you are a clean cat and that you just finished of your monthly session at the laundry. And then ask her why she is angry."  
  
The child put the seat belt on and crossed her arms furiously on her chest "Tell her because Barbara never came to my class. Everybody made fun of me."  
  
Selina frowned. "Barbara?"  
  
"Now everybody laughs at me, they tell me I'm a liar, my friends says no one like Barbara would come to give a speech to my class because she is a very important person." She paused. "Is she?"  
  
A silence filled the car.  
  
"Is she?" Helena asked her mother again.  
  
"Sorry, Jaçques, tell her that I can't answer because she doesn't want to talk with me."  
  
"Mom!!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
"Well, maybe you don't know, Helena, but even though she is young, she is a very smart and intelligent woman. Many people ask her to conferences because she is always interesting; Why do you think she is the head librarian?" Inwardly, Selina was confused as to why Barbara hadn't shown up. "Now, it's strange that she didn't come, she always keeps her promises, and especially when it a conference."  
  
"Whatever, I hate her and I don't want to see her again!" Helena shouted again.  
  
"Don't be dramatic."  
  
"I'm not dramatic. I never should have asked her anything! I don't ever want see her again!"  
  
"All right, all right, as you wish, just don't shout again, I don't like you shouting. If you want to shout do it outside of my car, okay?  
  
The kid grumbled.  
  
"Now we are going to eat with Marcy, so please be polite and nice." Selina said.  
  
"Marcy?" Helena cocked her head.  
  
"She is giving me advice about investing. We are going to talk about business, okay?"  
  
"Hamburger?"  
  
"No, I don't want the cookie monster doing a show. Pasta." Selina glared at her. "I'm warning you, don't start a spaghetti fight or you will be in trouble and no poptarts all a week."  
  
"All right." The kid sighed and crossed again her arms. She was angry with Barbara. She had failed her. Again.  
  
Selina was silent, wondering if Barbara was still feeling bad. She would call her after she finished her appointments; it was not normal for her to miss an appointment.

* * *

Selina was tired of pressing the door bell of Barbara's apartment with no answer. Now, she was really worried, the redhead had her phone off the hook and she hadn't been to work. The last time she had talked with her was yesterday. She sighed and, taking a hair pin from her hair, she tried to open the door lock. She did it quickly and smiled to herself. That was one of the advantages of being an ex-cat burglar.  
  
After no news about the young crime fighter; Selina had left Helena alone at her apartment, trying to figure out where Barbara could be. It was almost seven pm, she opened the door and walked inside, carefully.  
  
"Barbara?" she called out.  
  
The house seemed to be in order, but she noticed the newspaper and some mail was under the door. She picked it up. Barbara hadn't slept at home? She walked inside the kitchen. There were two dirty dishes at the sink. She had dinner at home.  
  
Selina looked around. Maybe she had gone out again as Batgirl. Dammit; maybe she had been hurt last night. She went toward her bedroom and opened the door. The room was a disaster. The bed was a mess and the lamp from the night table and the phone were on the floor. It seemed as if there had been a fight, a big fight. She went to the window and tried to open it; it was locked from the inside.  
  
Suddenly, she heard a whimper. Her eyes changed. She kept still looking around, waiting. The bathroom door was half opened; she took her whip from her bag. She always carried it with her. It was always useful.  
  
She walked slowly toward it and opened it slowly. Empty. It was empty.  
  
Her fine hearing made her turn to her right. The closet. That sound came from the closet. She moved slowly toward it and stood up, waiting. She heard the soft sound again. She took the handle and with a quick movement, she opened the closet.  
  
"Barbara?" Selina mumbled in surprised.  
  
The young crimefighter was curled up in the corner of the closet. Her hair was a mess over her face and she was grabbing her head between her hands. She was only wearing her night shirt. Selina kneeled next to her and touched her arm, "Barbara?"  
  
"Go away!" The red head tried to hit her. 


	13. Lost in my self

**Lost in my self**  
  
The young crimefighter was curled up in the corner of the closet. Her hair was a mess over her face and she was grabbing her head between her hands. She was only wearing her night shirt. Selina kneeled next to her and touched her arm, "Barbara?"  
  
"Go away!" The red head tried to hit her.  
  
Selina moved back and held her hand. "Easy, easy, it's me."  
  
Barbara blinked and looked at her; she hit her with her other hand and jumped over her.  
  
"Barbara!" the blonde shouted and pushed her back with her legs. She stood up immediately.   
  
The red head crouched and prepared to attack.  
  
"Barbara, it's me, Selina!" the blonde said.  
  
"I know... you want to finish with me; but it will cost you blood."  
  
"I what?... What are you talking about?"  
  
Barbara looked at the door frame. Voodoo was there. He laughed.  
  
Selina noticed Barbara's gaze at the door. "What's happening?"  
  
"Finish with her!" Voodoo shouted.  
  
"Damn son of a bitch!" Barbara shouted.  
  
Selina noticed she was seeing something that she couldn't, but before she could say anything, Barbara tried to kick her. Selina ducked and swung her leg out, making Barbara lose her balance, she fell backwards. Selina moved to her quickly and hugged her strongly.  
  
"Barbara, calm down! I'm Selina!"  
  
"He is controlling you!" Barbara yelled. "You don't understand!"   
  
They rolled on the floor and Barbara pushed strongly making the blonde hit her lower back against the border of the door.  
  
"Ouff.." Selina grunted and released her. Barbara ran again to the door. She saw Voodoo and she tried to attack him. She hit and bounced against the wall in the hallway. Selina ran toward her; Barbara was kneeling on the floor and, when she saw her, she used her head as a hammer and impacted the blonde woman in her gut, knocking the air out of her.  
  
Selina felt a hard blow on her face. Maybe Barbara was only a human, but she punched like a mule. "I'm sorry," she said and made the redhead step back by hitting her jaw with her fist.  
  
Selina hit her again with her leg. The advantage was that Barbara was physically exhausted. She took her whip and moving her hand quickly, she wrapped her with it with a fast movement. The redhead struggled and Selina held her, restrained. "Calm down." She hugged her and pulled her to the bathroom. She turned on the cold water in the shower and pulled Barbara in. "Barbara, calm down!" she shouted.  
  
As soon as she felt the cold water. Barbara woke up. "Shit!" she shouted; she tried to move, but Selina held her, twisting her arm.  
  
"Stay calm!" the blonde said.  
  
"Selina!" Barbara realized the blonde was holding her under the cold water. "What is happening to you?? Let me go!"  
  
"Who am I?" Selina asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Who am I?"  
  
"Selina, you are Selina, what the hell is happening to you? Let me go!"  
  
The blonde released her and stepped back. Both were soaked. Barbara rubbed her arms and turned off the water before turning to her friend in annoyance. "What were you thinking? Are you crazy?" she shouted.  
  
"That's the same thing I was going to ask you." The older woman took a towel to dry herself and threw another to the red head.  
  
Barbara frowned and took it. She didn't understand what had happened. She felt tired, really tired and rested her back on the wall holding the towel. "What are we doing here?"  
  
"Nothing pleasant, be sure of that." Selina sat on the W.C. drying her hair.  
  
Barbara blinked disconcerted. She suddenly looked through the door and froze. Her room was a mess. "What happened here?" she mumbled. She tried to step forward, but her mind blurred.  
  
Selina noticed something was wrong. The Barbara's legs buckled and Selina caught her in time to prevent her head from hitting the sink. The blonde held her between her arms.  
  
"Barbara?" Selina saw the redhead's frightened eyes flutter. "Dammit, hold on."  
  
She carried her toward the bed and examined her pupils. They were dilated. "Barbara, can you hear me?"  
  
The redhead could only nod weakly.  
  
"Hold on, sweetheart." Selina picked up the phone off the floor; that was not normal, something was happening to her. She hurriedly pressed some buttons.  
  
The tall black man touched his father's shoulder. The old man grinned and looked at him.  
  
"Almost son." He turned to see the doll hanging on a rope "You want her dead? Or want her here?"  
  
"I want her here. It will be more fun to kill her with my hands."  
  
"True."  
  
"When?" Voodoo asked.  
  
"Soon. Don't worry." He laughed.  
  
Dr. Leslie Tomkins moved her head back, worried, taking of the stethoscope off her ears. She was seated on the bed next to the redhead at the hospital. Selina had taken her there, worried about her condition.  
  
"Well?" Barbara asked, looking at the doctor.  
  
"You are physically exhausted," Leslie said. "I don't understand what is happening. I recommend that you not go to work for three days. I took some blood samples to do some tests."  
  
"Why the hallucinations and the nightmares?" Selina was standing up at the end of the bed with her arms crossed over her chest.  
  
"I don't understand, but it in some way, they are draining all your energy. My only answer is stress and that her body is asking her to rest." She looked Barbara. "I can give you some vitamins and pills to sleep."  
  
Barbara sighed. "I try, but I can't."  
  
"What do you see in your hallucinations?"  
  
"They are so real, I can almost touch them. I heard everything perfectly well. I saw dad..."  
  
"Yesterday?" Selina fixed her eyes on her.  
  
"I couldn't sleep because I kept seeing my father being murdered or Joker, Penguin and Riddler trapping me... Today, when I woke up," Barbara explained, "you walked in and tried to kill me. We had a hard fight and you came back twice. The last time you sent cats after me... they scratched me all over and I ran to hide in the closet. I was in there listening to them scratch the doors. I heard Voodoo hitting the door, trying to open it... it was like hell. I tried to move, but I couldn't. I was paralyzed. I wanted go out and jump through the window." The red head closed her eyes.  
  
"Like the others," Selina said.  
  
"What?" Leslie frowned.  
  
Selina walked toward the window. "Have you thought, Babs, that maybe this Voodoo guy is attacking you?"  
  
Barbara blinked. "What? He can't, to do voodoo he need something of the victim and..."  
  
"Don't tell me that it's not possible, Barbara Gordon." Selina glared at her.  
  
Barbara sighed and raised her eyes.  
  
"She is right," Leslie said. "If this Voodoo guy does voodoo things; she is right. Black magic is unpredictable."  
  
"You are so worried about solving everyone else's problems, that you never think of yourself," the blonde pointed out.  
  
"Selina, please... I'm not a kid."  
  
"Looks that way." She leaned over her.  
  
"You can't say that! I know my work." The red head faced her.  
  
"Sometimes, I doubt it," Selina said angrily.  
  
"Don't tell me what to do."  
  
"Don't be stubborn and open your eyes." The blonde woman hated it when Barbara didn't want to accept possibilities that she hadn't thought of first.  
  
"I have my eyes open; I know this guy, I know how he works." Barbara began to feel exasperated. The last thing she needed was a ex-criminal as a counselor.  
  
"So, accept that you are under his spell!"  
  
"Girls! Calm down!." Leslie said, putting her hands between them. "This is a hospital."  
  
"All right." Selina moved back and locked her eyes on the red head, "Voodoo, in some way, could do that. These guys that you have been investigating committed suicide. You told us that you wanted go and jump through the window."  
  
Barbara closed her eyes. Selina got her.  
  
"Just tell me, detective," the blonde inquired, "is there a possibility that Voodoo could have given those guys had hallucinations like you and forced them to kill themselves?"  
  
Leslie raised her brow and looked at Barbara. "Honey..."  
  
"Yes," Barbara finally said.  
  
"Thanks." Selina looked at Leslie "I'll take her to my home tonight."  
  
"What?" Barbara frowned.  
  
"I'm not going to leave you alone until we understand what the hell is happening," Selina said with a firm voice.  
  
"I can take care..." Barbara said in loud voice.  
  
Selina interrupted her and pointed at her with her finger. "I don't want to wake up tomorrow and read that you jumped out of your window for being stubborn and not accepting help."  
  
"You are physically exhausted, the hallucinations are becoming worse." Leslie crossed her arms. "As your doctor I suggest you do it. It's dangerous for you to be alone. If Voodoo is behind this, it would be much better have someone near you, until you can solve this problem."  
  
Barbara bit her lip. She didn't like the idea of depending on anyone.  
  
"Just tonight." Selina said. "Please."  
  
Barbara nodded, inside she knew Selina was right.  
  
"Thanks," the blonde said.


	14. Thunders

Selina arrived at her apartment an hour later. Barbara followed her. Her apartment was marvelous. It was in one of the most elegant buildings of the city and she had half the floor. She liked her decorating style, elegant and modern. Her living room was big and had one of the biggest television screens that she had seen. But the best part was the balcony. It had a marvelous view of Gotham bay. Her library was marvelous, it had an interesting collection of books, but the most spectacular part was her private collection of paintings and sculptures. She loved art. Great art.  
  
Selina walked inside the kitchen, followed by the redhead. A hamburger pack was opened and spots and finger prints of mustard and catsup were all over the place.  
  
"Want coffee?" Selina asked picking up a napkin.  
  
"Yes, I can prepare it."  
  
"Okay, meanwhile, I'll go to talk with Helena." She walked toward her room "Helena, I'm here!" She went toward the kid's room.  
  
It was empty and the balcony door was open, she walked out and saw the kid crouched on the border with a leg up, where she rested her arm, while she was looking the stars. Selina stood in silence looking at her.  
  
She had the same expression as he did; often she had seen him in that same position feeling the night, enjoying it. It was like look a photograph. She was his daughter and maybe she didn't need to interact with him to learn his attitudes; she had it in her blood.  
  
"Helena?"  
  
The kid turned and smiled. "Mom! Where have you been?" She moved down.  
  
"Busy. I saw you prepared your dinner."  
  
"I was hungry."  
  
"Okay, just next time clean up your mess." Selina took her chin between her fingers. "Listen, Barbara is here."  
  
"I don't want to see her!" Helena said angry.  
  
"She is going to stay here tonight in the guest room." She removed her coat. "I don't want you to bother her with your things or "make faces," understand?"  
  
"You can't make me!" the kid spat out.  
  
"I can." Selina glared at her; she hated when Helena challenged her. That put her in a really bad mood. "I don't want arguments, all right? If you don't want to see her, then just stay in your room."  
  
"Why did you bring her here? Why did you...?"  
  
"Helena, please, it's been a hard night."  
  
"No!"  
  
"Honey, listen..."  
  
"I don't want her here!" Helena yelled.  
  
That was it. Selina exploded "Don't shout at me! I'm not going to give explanations to you. She is my guest and I ask that you respect all my guests, whether you like them or not, that is my last word." Selina was really annoyed. "Now, stay here and don't make one of your scenes or I will give you a good spanking. I'm not in the mood to argue with you tonight."  
  
"But...?" Helena asked.  
  
"You are grounded. You know I hate it when you are capricious. Stay here and don't go out. It's an order!"  
  
Selina put her coat on her arm and walked out of the room, fuming. Helena watched her go and tried not to say another word; when her mother was in that mood, she gave her really hard spankings, and it was better keep quiet. She kicked Charlotte, her hippo that was on the floor.  
  
"Problems?" Barbara asked, seated in the dinning room. She had heard the yells of the child.  
  
"Nothing serious." Selina took some donuts from a paper bag and put them on the table. "Helena sometimes tries to challenge me and I hate that; I love her, but I'm not going to let her use that to try to control me or tell me what to do with her tantrums."  
  
"I never imagined that." The red head took a donut.  
  
"She has a strong personality," Selina took a sip of her coffee "Oh man, you don't want see her annoyed. She is sweet, but a demon when she's mad. She has as strong a personality as her..." The blonde closed her mouth and realized her mistake. "You know how kids are..." She played with her donut, nervously.  
  
"I understand." Barbara respected her privacy and Selina was grateful for her discretion.  
  
"I have the guest room ready," the blond said. "It's next to my room so, if you need something, you can call me."  
  
"Thanks Selina."  
  
The blonde smiled.

* * *

After getting Barbara situated in the guest room, Selina went to change and put on night shirt; she removed the bedspread from her bed. She was intrigued about Barbara and what was happening to her. She sat on a chair and began to brush her hair.  
  
The red head was a pro, but she wondered how she had survived to so many villains, if she never accepted that she needed help. The blonde woman felt a presence at the doorframe, but ignored her. Helena. She was in a bad mood, she hated her tantrums more than anything else and Helena knew it.  
  
The child watched her, nervously shifted her feet without knowing what to say. She didn't like to see her mother mad. The last time she had been mad she hadn't talked to her for two days and she had felt terribly alone. She didn't want it to happen again.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mom," Helena mumbled.  
  
Selina, looking at her image in the mirror, tied her hair back.  
  
"Mom, I'm sorry," Helena mumbled again.  
  
"I told you stay in your room," the blonde said with a cold voice.  
  
"I promise to never shout at you again. I'm sorry." The child walked toward her.  
  
"You are grounded. Go to your room, I'm not going to tell you again."  
  
"I don't want you to be mad with me." The kid hugged her waist and rested her head on her back. "I'm sorry."  
  
Selina sighed, it was hard to be firm with her sometimes. She turned and hugged her. "I hate it when you yell at me; you know that."  
  
"I'm sorry." The child buried her head in her neck and wrapped her arms around her. "I love you, Mom." She took a deep breath; she liked her smell, it made felt her protected.  
  
"Why are you so capricious? You need to learn to listen." Selina rubbed her back.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Do you know why Barbara didn't go to your school? She is sick."  
  
"Sick?" Helena moved her head back.  
  
"Yes, she is sick and Leslie said she needs care." Selina sat Helena on the bench and brushed her long hair. "For that reason she is here, she needs rest and sleep. I don't want you to bother her, understand?"  
  
"I didn't know."  
  
"Yes, because you yell, shout, and throw tantrums, rather than listening. Can you imagine? She's feeling sick and, suddenly, you appear and yell at her that you don't want to see her again. That would be unfair."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Selina pulled her daughter's hair into a ponytail. "That's the last time that you yell at me. Next time you will be punished all the week."  
  
"All right. May I give her Jaçques?"  
  
"No, not now, let her sleep." Selina finished brushing her hair. "Now go to sleep, it's late."  
  
Helena put her arms around her mother's neck. "Do you forgive me?"  
  
Selina smiled and kissed her cheek. "Yes, go to sleep."  
  
Helena smiled too and gave her two kisses before walking to her room. Selina turned off the light and moved toward the bed.

* * *

She woke up trembling. The loud noise had been thunder. She sat trembling on the bed; she looked around. Where was she? Oh, yes... Selina's house, she remembered. She needed to control herself, her joints ached and her muscles felt like strings of spaghetti. Her head was throbbing. She felt as if someone had beaten her roughly.  
  
"Steady, Barbara," she mumbled to herself, taking her head between her hands.  
  
A second clap of thunder made her tremble again; she tried to focus her mind. "Shit..." she growled to herself, "What is happening to me?" She was always a controlled person; she needed to calm down and breathe, breathe deeply.  
  
Calm down.  
  
And breathe.  
  
More thunder.  
  
Her heart was beating faster. She took a glass of water on her night table. She drank it and looked at the empty glass when she finished the liquid. Her hands were trembling. Dammit, she had never hated thunders as she did at that moment.  
  
She needed to focus.  
  
She could do it.  
  
Suddenly, she felt a gaze on her, pupils narrowed into vertical slits, glowing at the door. She froze and felt the sweat falling on her face, damn another hallucination, another damn hallucination.  
  
"Are you all right?" She suddenly heard the sweet voice of Helena. The kid walked to her slowly; she could see her silhouette when she walked near the window. She had Jaçques with her.  
  
"Helena?" Barbara gasped with relief.  
  
"What happened to you?" The lights were off, but Helena could see something strange in her look. She frowned and cocked her head. Lightening flashed into the room and Helena couldn't avoid jumping in her place and looked, scared, out the window.  
  
Barbara felt the fear invading her entire body. "Dammit," she growled, closing her eyes.  
  
"Are you sick?" The child swallowed and went to her.  
  
More thunder made Helena run toward Barbara's bed and jump in her arms. Barbara hugged her, trying to control herself, she was scared too.  
  
"What's wrong, Hel? Are you scared of thunder?"  
  
"No..." the kid lied.  
  
"Why are you here?  
  
"I wanted to bring Jaçques to you." Helena moved back and gave her the stuffed cat. "Mom says you are sick."

Barbara took it and looked at her. She was frightened by thunder and, fighting her fear, she had come to her room to gave her the stuffed cat. "Thanks so much." She touched her cheek.  
  
Lightened flashed again, lighting the room. A few seconds later, thunder crashed. Helena hugged Barbara again.  
  
"Are you scared too?" Helena asked, looking at the red head.  
  
"Yes," Barbara answered, trying to control her own fear. "Come here." She patted the bed. Helena climbed over her and moved next to Barbara, who covered her with the blankets and the bedspread.  
  
Helena hugged her. "I didn't know old people were scared of storms."  
  
"I'm not so old."  
  
"Looks like it."  
  
Barbara laughed lightly; the kid was open and didn't hide anything.  
  
"Why are you sick?" Helena raised her eyes to her.  
  
"Because I work so much. It's not good."  
  
More thunder. The little brunette hugged the redhead tightly.  
  
"Mom told me not to be afraid of it. She loves storms; she says they are beautiful," the kid mumbled.  
  
"She loves storms?" Barbara frowned, the other person that she knew that loved storms was Bruce.  
  
"She taught me a trick to not feel afraid...But it's hard..."  
  
"What trick?"  
  
"Counting..."  
  
"Counting?"

* * *

Selina heard the thunder, she looked back. It was strange that Helena hadn't run to her side after the second one; she was like clockwork. She sat on the bed and put on her slippers. She should check her and Barbara. She walked, yawning, first toward her child's room. The door was open.  
  
She walked inside. The bed was empty. She turned on the light and walked toward the bathroom. "Helena?"  
  
She moved toward Barbara's bedroom. She heard voices from the corridor. The door of Barbara's room was half open. She stood up in front of it and moved her head to listen.  
  
"Six, seven, eight, nine..." That was Barbara's voice counting until thunder was heard.  
  
"So that means..." Helena's voice was heard. "...How many miles?"  
  
"Well... almost two miles."  
  
"I'm bad in math." The kid sighed.  
  
"We need to start a tutorial in math," the red head said.  
  
"No way."  
  
"True, you cheat."  
  
"I don't cheat."  
  
Selina looked inside, hoping that they didn't see her. Both were lying on the bed covered with the blankets, looking the ceiling. Thunder was heard again.  
  
"Your turn," Barbara said.  
  
"One, two, three..."  
  
Selina smiled and closed the door carefully. 


	15. Facing my fears

**Ohhh... thanks so much for your post. IM glad you are enjoying this little Helena Kyle as me..... Thankyou Thankyou, thankyou....**

****

* * *

****

**Facing my fears**  
  
Barbara woke up, dizzy, she half opened her eyes. Helena had her head resting on her shoulder and her left arm around her neck; she smiled and kissed her forehead. She moved her arm gently and stood up. She walked toward the bathroom and opened the door, she stepped in and, suddenly, she found herself in the street.  
  
A cold wind was in the air; She looked around, where was she? It seemed to be a deserted street, she didn't like it, she wanted to step back, but she turned and found a brick wall.  
  
"Hi, Batgirl."  
  
She looked behind her, Voodoo was there; she looked at herself, she was dressed as Batgirl. "I'm dreaming again," she said to herself, "I'm dreaming."  
  
He threw a knife and she moved in time, but the blade scratched her arm. He threw another knife and she rolled to avoid it; she moved her hand to her waist and taking her batarang, she threw it at Voodoo, who ducked and avoided the impact..  
  
"How do you feel, Lady of the Bats? Want to finish with all of this?" he laughed.  
  
"What do you want?" Barbara growled, annoyed.  
  
"I want you." He ran inside a large, very old building.  
  
She raised her eyes and observed the building, it was grey and all the windows were covered with pieces of wood; it looked abandoned and was really odd. It was surrounded by other similar, but smaller, buildings. Newspaper blew down the empty street. She looked around, there was a sign on the wall: "Madison street."  
  
She needed to face him and stop the madness. She went toward the building, her fists in balls.  
  
"Barbara?"  
  
She heard Helena's voice and looked up.  
  
"Barbara?"  
  
"Helena?" She tried to figure out from where the voice came.  
  
"Barbara, wake up," Helena said.  
  
Everything around her turned blurry, she blinked.  
  
"Barbara." She heard Helena's voice again in the shadows.  
  
She shook her head and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw were Helena's strange cat eyes shining in the darkness over her.  
  
"Barbara, wake up." The child shook her shoulder gently with her hand.  
  
The red head was sweating. "I'm okay..." she mumbled rubbing her temples.  
  
"You were having a nightmare, you moved like crazy..." The kid moved to a side.  
  
"Me?" Barbara sat up slowly and turned on the night lamp. "Im sorry..."  
  
"Are you okay?" the kid asked.  
  
"Yes, yes... it was just a bad dream"  
  
Helena looked at her arm and touched it with her index finger; she looked at it. "You are bleeding."  
  
"Uhhh?" She turned her head and saw her finger; she looked down at her arm and saw a thread of blood on it. She opened her eyes wide and touched it, it was a wound. "Damn..."  
  
"What happened to you?" the kid said.  
  
"I must have scratched myself." Barbara said, stunned, and stood up. "I'll clean it."  
  
She went to the bathroom and closed the door. She turned on the cold water in the sink and washed her face. That couldn't have been a dream. She looked at her arm, the cut was made by a blade. She recognized it. What the hell was happening? Voodoo was challenging her?  
  
She lowered her head and closed her eyes.  
  
"What happened to you last night?" Selina poured coffee in Barbara's mug at the kitchen table. She had taken Helena to school and had returned to have breakfast with the red head at her home.  
  
"A nightmare... nothing important," the red head said; she was still dressed in her pajamas and opened the newspaper.  
  
Selina watched her with the coffee pot in her hand. She put it on the stove and rested her back on the counter crossing her arms. "May I see your arm?" she asked.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"May I see your arm?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just curious. When I took Helena to school, she told me you had a cut on your arm after she woke you from a nightmare."  
  
Barbara closed the newspaper and, in a bad mood, she pushed her sleeve up. Selina saw a small bandage on it.  
  
"So, it's not a scratch," the blonde said, worried. She sat next to her and fixed her eyes on her.  
  
"No, it's not a scratch," the red head removed the bandage. "It's a cut made by a blade. A knife blade."  
  
That was clearly a knife wound, Selina glared at her. "How? You?"  
  
"No, him... In my dream he threw a knife at me that scratched my arm. The scratch is this. The dream was not just a dream. I need to get out of here."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He could try to hurt you or Helena." Barbara couldn't hide the annoyance on her face.  
  
"No, you stay here until we know what the hell is happening." Selina said with a firm voice.  
  
"Selina, you..." Barbara sighed.  
  
"I know what this is about," the blonde interrupted "I worked many years on the bad side, remember? I know how many of these guys think. And from the profile that you gave me, he is trying to make you to commit suicide. Don't ask me to leave you alone now."  
  
"Selina, this is my case. This is my problem."  
  
"And you are my friend."  
  
Barbara raised her head. She could read the determination on Selina's face. She closed her eyes and moved her hands through her hair.  
  
"Let me help you," the older woman said.  
  
"You can't." Barbara mumbled.  
  
"I can, just let me help you." Selina took her hand "Barbara, you are young, smart and very mature for your age; strong, but impetuous and impulsive. Sometimes you have to stop. I can't tell you what to do or not, but I have more experience, take it and don't play with your life. Please. You are physically exhausted. You need to recover before trying to face him again."  
  
Barbara bit her lip and nodded.  
  
Barbara lay on the couch in the living room, watching a movie while Helena drew distractedly on the floor. She had decided to follow Selina's advice and stay there another day. She still felt tired and sleepy. She had slept almost all day, but in all her dreams that old building appeared. The image was on her mind and she tries to figure out what it meant.  
  
Her eyes fixed on a piece of blank paper on the table. She sat up and took it, her eyes scanned the floor and she picked up three colors. She began to draw on the paper.  
  
Selina finished some appointments and arrived at her home. It was a cold night. The weather channel had announced a big snow storm that weekend. She hoped Barbara would be calmer after the pills that she had given to her. She was really nervous about the Voodoo guy and after reading the files, she even more worried.  
  
"I'm home," Selina said, putting her coat on a chair.  
  
"I'm in here!" Helena said.  
  
Selina walked inside the living room, her child was drawing on the table, her colored pencils were everywhere, the television was on, and an empty plate with pieces of pop tart next to her. "I see you had fun."  
  
"The teacher told us to draw a map of the United States, with the capital cities in red," Helena explained.  
  
"Oh, I see," Selina sat next to her looking at the map. "You are doing it well."  
  
"Looks like the United States?" The kid raised the paper.  
  
Selina blinked and took it between her hands, she examined it a few seconds. "Yes, yes, look like the United States."  
  
Helena glared at her. "Mom, it's upside down!"  
  
Selina laughed and gave her a kiss on her head. "I know, I'm joking."  
  
"Funny, very funny."  
  
"Where is Barbara?"  
  
"She went out." Helena took a red pencil.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She was drawing all afternoon with me and, suddenly, she said she needed to go," the kid answered, distracted with her homework.  
  
"Drawing?" Selina frowned.  
  
"A house...all afternoon the same house. Don't tell her," Helena looked at her mother, "but it was an ugly house."  
  
"What house?"  
  
"I asked her, she told me she saw it in her dreams."  
  
"Show it to me." Selina began to feel really worried.  
  
Helena looked around and moved her hand down the table, she looked between the papers and took some of them. She gave them to her mother.  
  
The blonde took them and examined the papers. There were more than ten drawings, as Helena said, the same building in several sizes, but with the same colors; the walls were grey and the windows brown, with a broken sign at the entrance that was over a wood door. The word "Madison" was written around it many times, too. "What the hell?" she thought feeling a chill on her back. The final paper had an inscription: "Madison Street" She remembered, Madison Street was in a zone that was going to be rebuilt to construct a commercial center. It was closed.  
  
"Helena, tell me, what time she go out?" she asked.  
  
"Thirty minutes ago, I think."  
  
Selina stood up and went toward her bedroom. "I'll be right back, honey."  
  
The kid nodded. Selina closed the door to her room and took the phone. She pressed the buttons and bit her lip. After a few seconds she heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Hi, it's me, Selina." She looked at the drawings that Barbara made. "You know I don't like to bother you, but I really need your help, it's an emergency."


	16. A bad idea

Trying to get Barbara inside her apartment was a problem. She couldn't take her dressed as Batgirl and she as Catwoman through the main door. The young woman moved in and out of consciousness the entire trip, she was badly injured. Luckily, she had parked her car near that old building. Catwoman had called the police and then Leslie, asking her to come to her apartment.

The blonde woman parked at the back of the building and, moving outside the car, she looked up. Five floors. Easy if she was climbing alone. The street was empty. She opened Barbara's door examined her belt. It looked simple, but was complicated. She clapped the redhead's face softly.

"Barbara, wake up... Barbara."

"Uh?" The young woman could barely open her eyes. Her entire body was sore.

"Where is the bat-cable?" Catwoman asked.

"Why?" Batgirl asked, stunned.

Catwoman examined her belt trying to find it. "I can't take you inside the apartment from the front door, we need climb through the window."

Batgirl moved her hand to her right side and took out a small object, she opened it and inside was a metallic bat with a kind of grip in the other side. "Just point and shoot."

The blonde took it between her hands and looked for a button to shoot it. "Dammit, how can these people work with this thing?" she mumbled to herself. By accident, she pressed a button and the weapon shot the hook, which crashed against the brick wall and buried in it. "Shit!." Catwoman growled, she tried to remove it, but the thing was buried deep inside the wall. "At least I know it's secure," she thought to herself.

After fight a few seconds, she freed the hook and prepared the gun to shoot again. She pointed up and shot. The hook landed at the top of the building.

"Good." Catwoman went to the car and moved her arm behind Batgirl's back. The younger woman winced in pain.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay," Batgirl swallowed. "It's all right."

"I need to take you upstairs, I can't do this the easy way, so, we are going to do it the hard way."

The young crime fighter felt stunned, she tried to stay alert, but it was impossible. She felt Catwoman's hand holding her waist. The ex-burglar secured the bat-cable to Batgirl's waist and prepared to climb the building.

"Help me, I can't do this alone," Catwoman said to her.

Batgirl tried to do as she was told, but her body and her mind didn't respond. Suddenly, Catwoman felt herself losing her friend. She had passed out.

"Not now, Barbara!" Catwoman said to her, frustrated and and holding her with both arms to prevent the redhead from hitting the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" a voice said.

Catwoman turned her face to find Leslie a few meters away. "Leslie?"

"I thought you were retired." The older woman walked toward her with firm steps. She had been waiting on the front side for her, but something had told her to look around at the other side the building. Years of knowing the dark activities of her night-friends had taught her they never used the front doors.

"I am..." Catwoman said, holding Batgirl's limp form between her arms "But this girl sometimes forces me to quit my retirement.

"What happened to her?" Leslie went to her.

Catwoman kneeled and took Batgirl's head on her lap. "She's injured pretty badly, she was beaten up roughly. Helena is in there and I can't walk in by the main entrance with her dressed like this."

"Do you want to break your neck? Have you tried once to use your head, honey?" Leslie said, removing her long coat.

"What?" Selina blinked.

"Remove her cowl, cape, boots and gloves."

"But..."

"Do it and give me your car keys."

Catwoman did as Leslie told her; the older woman took the parts of Barbara's costume. "Put the coat over her. It's long, will cover the rest of her Batgirl suit."

Leslie went to the car and opened the trunk. She put the cowl, cape and boots inside. She looked inside where Selina's clothes were, she took them and went to the blonde woman.

"You can't climb with her in this condition." Leslie gave her the clothes. "Put your coat on and cover your costume. Don't forget to remove the cowl. It will easier this way."

Selina removed her cowl and put her coat on, while Leslie examined her friend's pupils with a small light.

"Doesn't look good, against what did she fight? A train?"  
  
"More or less." Selina put her cowl inside the car and closed it.

"Help me with her. We need to take her inside now." Selina moved an arm behind Barbara's back "Do you think Helena will be sleep?"

"Yes, if not, I'll tell her she is drunk. Alfred is taking care of her." The blonde helped her to pick up Barbara.

* * *

Alfred was in the kitchen reading the newspaper. Helena had fallen asleep a long ago. She had lost the last five games of poker; and with no more money, the last bet was Alfred cooking a dessert or Helena going to sleep. Of course he won; the kid was smart, but she couldn't do anything against his years of experience.

He heard the front door opening and went to it. Selina half-opened the door and looked him.

"Helena?" she asked.

"Sleeping, Madam." He moved his hands back.

"Good, help us," the blonde said, opening the door.

Alfred saw that she and Leslie and were carrying an unconscious Barbara Gordon and he immediately went to her to pick her up. He noticed she had been badly beaten.

"Follow me," Selina whispered, guiding him to Barbara's bedroom. Selina followed them.

"What happened to her?"

"She went to face a bad guy and she wasn't in good shape," the blonde explained, pulling back the blankets on the bed.

Alfred put her gently on the bed. After helping the two women to remove her coat, he said, "I'll bring warm water."

"Please, Alfred... Selina, I need clean cloths," Leslie said, putting her bag on the night table and opening it.

Selina unlocked her belt to take it off. Barbara stirred lightly and half opened her eyes.

"Babs, how do you feel?" Leslie asked, leaning over her and cleaning a thread of blood from her forehead, she had a small cut on her head.

"Like shit," she grunted, holding her ribs.

Leslie looked at Selina, who had removed her belt. "We need to remove the custume."

Selina tried to help her to sit to remove the costume, but Barbara groaned. "Don't move me," she winced in pain, "it hurts..."

"She could have internal damage." Leslie said to Selina. "Better cut it."

"She won't like it."  
  
"We are not asking her. I need to examine her. I don't like this," the doctor explained.

"I'm toast," the blonde said.

"She is toast if I don't examine her now," Leslie gave her a pair of scissors.

Selina did as she was told.

"Babs," Leslie touched Barbara's face, "can you hear me?"

The redhead nodded.

"Tell me what hurts you?"

"My left side, I think he broke... something when he hit me." She swallowed hard. "My arm, I can't move it."

"Which arm?"

"Left."

Leslie moved and looked at it. She had a big cut on the inner side. "Pretty bad," she mumbled.

"I thought I was hurt when the floor collapsed," Barbara whispered.

"Leslie." Selina said, when she had finished cutting the front side of her costume.

"Damn," the old woman mumbled to herself when she saw her thorax. It had severe bruises. She was certain the redhead had at least one broken rib.

"I'll tell Alfred to stay outside."

"Don't worry, he is a very good assistant, I need him. Alfred is a skilled medical technician, a skill gained during his time in the British Army as a young man." Leslie began to take some supplies out of her bag. "Just look for something to cover her. When he comes in, you go to keep an eye on Helena; I don't want to see her around, asking what happened. Cut the sleeves, I need to inject something for the pain." Leslie leaned over the red head. "Barbara, I'm going to help you a sleep a while, all right?"

The young woman nodded, closing her eyes, she was numb.

Alfred walked inside with a tray with hot water. Selina helped him put it on a table.

"Alfred, hi," Leslie greeted, preparing a syringe. "I'm sorry we only see each other in these situations. How did these women involve you in this?"

"Miss Selina called me to help her by taking care of her daughter," the butler said.

Leslie stopped what she was doing and frowned. "You babysitting a child?"

"**_Taking care of,_** madam," he corrected.

"It's the same, how...?"

"I asked him to help, Les," Selina explained. "I knew Barbara was in trouble and I needed someone that could take care of her. If he hadn't come, I'm sure Barbara would be dead now."

"Alfred is here?" Barbara mumbled, half opening her eyes.

"Hi, Miss Barbara." He walked in, smiling and took her hand. "I saw you had a rough night."

"Just a bit."

"Alfred, I'll need your help," Leslie said cleaning the redhead's arm to inject her. "She has numerous cuts, a few of which we had to stitch; we need to bandage her right arm and I'm sure she has some broken ribs." She smiled at Barbara. "Don't worry, honey, when you wake up, you will be okay."

He took a cloth and moved her left arm gently to clean it.

"Is it true that you were babysitting Helena?" Barbara asked Alfred weakly.

"Taking care of," he corrected her.

"I hope she didn't get you with her card game."

He smiled. "She tried, but I'm an old card shark."

Barbara laughed lightly, closing her eyes. Without feeling it, she fell asleep.


	17. A big mistake

Barbara as Batgirl, on her bike, drove to the outskirts of the city. It was an abandoned place that was closed and was going to be demolished. She moved along the streets looking for it. She knew she wasn't in good condition, but she needed to know what all this was about. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that building.  
  
Now it had turned into a kind of obsession, she needed to find it. It was something that was fixed in her mind, finding the building and being sure it hadn't been her imagination. She turned a corner and, suddenly, saw it. She stopped in the middle of the street.  
  
That was the building.  
  
"I found you," she mumbled, while her eyes fixed on the old structure. She parked her bike on the corner and walked slowly to the building, it was like being hypnotized by it. She stood up in front of it and looked at it carefully, the old walls. The windows were closed with pieces of wood.  
  
He was there, she knew it.  
  
It was time to stop the madness.  
  
She walked toward the door.

* * *

Helena was in her mother's room watching television. Selina paced nervously in her apartment. She looked at her watch. He said he would be there as soon as possible. Every minute was like an hour, Barbara's life was be in danger. As soon as she heard the doorbell, she ran toward it. She opened the door.  
  
"Good evening, Miss Kyle," the man said.  
  
"Alfred, thank God you're here."  
  
"I came as quickly as I could."  
  
"Please come in..." she said.  
  
Alfred knew perfectly that Barbara Gordon was Batgirl; Selina explained the problem to him, as fast as she could, and he listened with attention; but he didn't understand why she asked for his help. They were seated in the living room. When the blonde woman finished, she looked at him hopefully. He raised his brow.  
  
"And how may I help you, Miss Kyle?" he asked.  
  
"Could you please babysit my daughter while I look for Barbara?"  
  
The question really surprised him. He was speechless.  
  
"You know I have a daughter."  
  
"Yes, yes, I know madam, but I never expected...."  
  
"Please, Barbara's life is in danger. I need to go. She is eleven, she's a good girl. I promise to be back as soon as possible."  
  
Alfred didn't know what to say. "Well..."  
  
"Please."  
  
He tried to deny it, but he knew Miss Gordon really would need help and Selina looked desperate. He nodded. "Don't worry, Miss Kyle. I'll help you."  
  
"Thanks Alfred!"  
  
She hugged him and stood up. "Helena, come here!" she shouted.  
  
Alfred knew Selina had a daughter, Master Bruce had told him and he had the opportunity to talk with her once about him, about her love for him. She told him that day that she had a daughter, but they had never discussed anything more about her years in Paris.  
  
He never heard her, she suddenly appeared in the living room dressed in white pajamas, holding Jaçques. She was not tall, had brilliant blue eyes and long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was cute, he thought, standing up immediately.  
  
"Helena, this is Alfred Pennyworth." Selina walked toward her.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you Miss Kyle." He bent down slightly.  
  
"Hi," the child said.  
  
"Are you going to date him tonight?" Helena frowned.  
  
Selina couldn't avoid a laugh. "Of course not, Alfred is a good friend."  
  
"Why is he dressed in black?"  
  
"I'm a butler miss Kyle."  
  
"Butler?"  
  
"He is going to take care of you for a few hours," Selina explained, taking her coat and a briefcase from the coat closet. "I need to go out, but I'll be back as soon as possible."  
  
"A butler babysitting me?" That was really weird, she thought. And he was a man, and old.  
  
"Taking care madam." He said.  
  
"Please, it's an emergency." Selina gave her child a kiss. "I'll be right back, please, be a good girl." She went to Alfred and whispered to his ear. "Thanks Alfred, remember she is half-meta. She's like a kitten. Don't worry if she can do strange things, I'll explain to you later."  
  
"Right. Mrs. Kyle."  
  
She ran outside her apartment, closing the door behind her.  
  
Helena and Alfred stood up in front of each other without moving. Helena was curious about the tall old man in front of her; she studied him carefully; she had heard about butlers, but she had never seen one. She had imagined it very different.  
  
Alfred smiled watching how the girl had her eyes fixed on him.  
  
"Is something wrong with my clothes, Miss Kyle?"  
  
The child moved her head.  
  
"I'm an old friend of your mother. I'm here to take care of you and help you with anything you need," Alfred said to her, smiling.  
  
"Butlers babysit too?"  
  
"Taking care is a better word for a butler like myself."  
  
"Well, but taking care of a child is babysitting? No?" Helena cocked her head.  
  
"Miss Helena, for a butler like me," he explained, "that has worked in the best house in Gotham, babysitting is not a very honorable word."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Butlers never babysit children."  
  
"So why did you agree to babysit me?" Helena asked, he was really curious and funny.  
  
"Take care of, Miss Kyle." Alfred sighed.  
  
"It's the same, why?"  
  
"Your mother is a good friend and she has an emergency now."  
  
"I have never seen you before. Where did you meet her?"  
  
"A common friend, we have a common friend." He looked at the stuffed cat in her arms "And this is?"  
  
"He's Jaçques." She showed it to him.  
  
"A pleasure to meet you, Master Jaçques."  
  
"You talk funny." Helena giggled.  
  
"I'm British, madam," Alfred smiled.  
  
"I'm not madam, I'm a child."  
  
"It is a respectful way to talk to you."  
  
"Why?" Helena asked again.  
  
The "Why" question seemed to be a constant word in a child's vocabulary and Selina's daughter wasn't the exception. "Because butlers are respectful with people," he said patiently. "May I offer you something for dinner?"  
  
"You cook?" That was the weirdest thing that she could imagine.  
  
"Yes, I'm an excellent cook, Miss Kyle."  
  
"Men don't cook."  
  
"I cook and I am an excellent cook."  
  
"I don't believe you!"  
  
"Want to try, Miss Kyle?"  
  
"Do you know how to make lasagna?"  
  
He took off his coat. "Where is the kitchen?"

* * *

Batgirl walked inside the old building. The main door was open and she knew he was waiting for her. She just needed to keep her eyes open. Every time she took a step she heard the wood cracking under her feet.  
  
She was in the middle of a big lobby. It had been a hotel in good times, a very nice hotel, she thought to herself. The place was covered in darkness and it smelled like old, wet wood. In front of her were two elevators, and, to her right, a stairway. She walked to the stairway, trying to make the as little noise as possible, but to no avail.  
  
She heard a noise behind her and she turned her head. A rat ran down the corridor.  
  
"Hello, Lady of the Bats," a deep voice said. From the shadows, the tall black man appeared. "I'm glad you accepted my invitation." The deep voice of Voodoo was heard throughout the place.  
  
She glared at him.  
  
"You have really been a pain in the ass. I think we need to finish this," he growled.  
  
"I agree," she said, "We need to stop your madness."  
  
"It's not madness, it is the wisdom of a God." He threw a knife at her that he had on his waist.  
  
She ducked and took her batarang, she threw the object at him and it impacted hard on his head. He stepped back. She went to him and punched him twice. He barely moved and threw his fist against her. She didn't see the blow in time and it crashed against her jaw. His other fist hit her gut. She bent down.  
  
"Bats... I thought you hit harder than that." He smirked.  
  
She looked him angrily and charged against him. They fought, ducking and avoiding blows. Batgirl used her arms to avoid his fist and, with every passing second, it was becoming more difficult; she felt tired. He knew that and began to attack her without giving her time to breathe.  
  
Finally, she couldn't stop a blow that hit her side. She bent down and a second one crashed against her head. She stumbled back. She tried to protect herself from his attack, but she couldn't. He pushed her against the wall.  
  
"Where are the men that you hid? I need to kill them and finish my mission."  
  
"I don't know."  
  
His foot hit her gut, she grunted and bent down. "You are lying, where are they?"  
  
"I don't know, and if I did know, I'd never tell you."  
  
Another blow made her head turn. She fell to the ground. It was hard to think clearly, he was strong and she felt stunned under his attack.  
  
Fight.  
  
Her instinct told her fight.  
  
She needed to do it, but she couldn't. She felt a blow and later another one; he was a hurricane. Her body didn't respond. She could only curl up in a ball tasting blood in her mouth.  
  
After a few seconds, the beating stopped. At least, she thought that because she felt him stepping back. She grunted and put her hand on her side slowly.  
  
Batgirl blinked and tried to focus on the two men. It had been a stupid idea to face Voodoo, feeling as exhausted as she felt at that moment; but part of her physical exhaustion hadn't let her think clearly. Her mind was surrendering to flashes and blurry images. She felt chaos inside.  
  
"Bring her." She heard a voice.  
  
Tender wasn't exactly the word that she would use to describe how he carried her to a place she didn't know. The only thing she knew, was that her body hurt like hell. She couldn't fight anymore.

* * *

She had her head resting on her arms on the table watching the man work. He kept her really entertained. His only other experience with a child was long ago, taking care of Bruce Wayne after his tragedy, and, definitely, taking care of a boy was different from a girl. She had a quick mind and always had an answer for everything, and her questions were smart. She had an eye on everything, even small details.  
  
"Voilá. It's ready Miss Kyle." He put the lasagna on the dining table.  
  
"Wow!" She smiled. "Looks good."  
  
"Of course, it's my grandmother's recipe." He took a knife, cut a slice, and put it on her plate.  
  
"It's small."  
  
He cut another slice and put it next to the other one.  
  
"If I'm hungry when I finish, may I have another one?"  
  
"You have a very good appetite, Miss Kyle. Sure, but first finish that."  
  
She took a piece and put it in her mouth. It really tasted good. "Great," she said.  
  
"I'm glad you liked it, thanks Miss Kyle." Alfred smiled.  
  
"Why don't you sit?"  
  
"It is not correct or proper for a butler." He poured a glass of milk for her.  
  
"I've never had a butler before." Helena chewed. "Just babysitters and Barbara."  
  
"Miss Gordon took care of you?" Alfred asked, amazed. Barbara was a smart woman, but he wasn't so sure about her abilities with children.  
  
"Yes, she is cool, a bad cook, but cool." She took the glass of milk and drank it.  
  
He smiled and observed her in silence.  
  
"What do butlers do?" she asked, putting the glass on the table. She had a milk moustache.  
  
"First of all," he said, taking a napkin and cleaning her mouth, "we take care that the mansion is in order."  
  
"Do you work in a mansion?" The little brunette opened her blue eyes wide.  
  
"Yes, madam."  
  
"Wow! Do you sweep a big house and clean it alone?"  
  
"No, no... let me explain to you..."


	18. The fight

Maybe she passed out for a few minutes because the next time she opened her eyes, she was lying on a table. They had tied her to it. The old man walked toward the unmoving woman, putting his hands in bowl with a red liquid. Voodoo was standing up behind her.

She felt him raise her head; Voodoo's father put the bowl with the strange liquid to her mouth. She felt the wet liquid on her dry lips, it tasted like water. She drank it slowly.

"That's it, that's it," the old man said.

"Good girl." Voodoo said.

She spat the liquid on the man's face; she didn't swallow it. Voodoo slapped her, annoyed. Suddenly, a whip around his throat made him fell backwards.

"Did you call?" Catwoman smirked at the door. 

The old man ran toward her and she pushed him back. She went toward her friend and, with her claws, she ripped the knot that restrained her left and right hand. She turned to see Voodoo standing up.

"Try to free yourself, I'm busy now," she said to Batgirl.

The red head sat up on the table, holding her side and took a blade off her utility belt to cut the ropes that restrained her legs. She rolled off the table and fell to the floor. The abrupt movement was really painful, but she would worry about that later. Voodoo's father tried to hit her with a big piece of wood, she hit him with her elbow in his stomach and he bent down.

Selina connected a hard punch to Voodoo's face.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked annoyed.

"Your worst nightmare," she hissed. "Call me Catwoman."

"Catwoman?" He frowned. "I thought you had disappeared."

"Yes, but I come back sometimes to visit friends."

He tried to hit her, but she ducked and hit her knee against his jaw and punched him roughly with her fist. "I see you are not very fast with your tricks."

To be an old man he was strong, and she was very weak, Batgirl thought. Voodoo's father charged against her and taking her by her waist, they hit a joint of wood. It broke and she felt the floor collapsing under her feet.

The entire floor collapsed and Catwoman fell down, with Voodoo.

Batgirl didn't have the opportunity to grab a hold of something. A hard blow to her back alerted her that the fall was over. She covered her head with her arms to avoid some of the old wood pieces that were falling and hitting her.

A cloud of dust covered the place.

* * *

At Selina's Kyle house, inside the kitchen, Alfred and Helena sat at the kitchen table. She was drinking a glass of milk and eating cookies and Alfred had a cup of tea. He raised his eyebrow and glared at the child.

"Miss Helena, you are cheating."

"I'm not cheating."

He put his cards down. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I won," Helena said.

"Okay, so this time I'm going to deal the cards." Alfred pushed his sleeves up. The kid was very good at playing cards and even better at cheating.

"You owe me four six dollars,"she said.

"Okay, what do you think about betting that six dollars and six dollars more?"

"I don't have that much money."

"Okay, how much Miss Helena?"

Helena ran toward her room. He smiled, it was time to give her a lesson. A few seconds later, the kid appeared with a little box, she opened it and put some coins on the table. Slowly, she began to count it.

"Four dollars and forty five cents," she said.

"Okay, want to bet it?" Alfred smiled.

"Sure." 

"Now let old uncle Alfie show you how to play poker." This time he wouldn't let her touch the cards.

Helena wacthed him with curiosity. He took the cards and began to shuffle them like one of those guys that worked in Las Vegas, he made amazing movements with them in his hands. She opened her eyes in surprise. She was in trouble.

* * *

After long seconds of silence, under the rubble, a hand in a yellow glove moved up, it moved some pieces of metal and wood to a side. She coughed and, stunned, tried to stand up, only to discover that a heavy joist had trapped her. "Damn..." she growled to herself. That was the last thing that she needed.

Batgirl grunted, the joist was pressing hard against her stomach. Maybe if she was feeling well, she could move it easily, but, at the moment, she was exhausted. She couldn't move and the pain was excruciating.

Voodoo stood up and watched her vain efforts to free herself in amusement; he walked toward her. She couldn't see his face under his wood mask, but she knew he was smiling. In a blink he was over her; she raised her head; Voodoo looked taller. He put his foot over the joist and moving his arm to his knee as he placed his weight on it.

The red head winced in pain, feeling the pressure on her stomach.

"Hurts you? I'm sorry, Lady of the Bats. Don't worry, you ruined our sacrifice, but I can kill you now as painfully as possible. My God will understand." He took a knife off his waist and put it against her throat. She grunted, all his weight was on her stomach.

A whip rolled around his throat and pulled him back.

Batgirl sighed with relief, feeling the pressure over her diminish. She didn't know what was happening. She raised her head and tried to see what was happening, but it was too dark. She moved her head back and closed her eyes; she needed to recover so she could try to free herself.

"Damn bitch!" Voodoo yelled at Catwoman. "You need to think well of what are you going to do or..."

"Or?" she growled.

"Mom! Help!"

A chill ran down her back. She heard her child's voice behind her. It couldn't be. She turned and saw the Riddler holding her.

"Did you lose a kitten?" he laughed.

"Don't touch her!" she yelled. What was he doing there?

Batgirl heard sounds, sounds of a battle, punches, growls. She licked her lips, it tasted like blood, maybe she had bit her tongue or had split her lip. She swallowed. Damn. That hurt too.

"Oh, tell me, my dear Catstupid... What happens to kittens when you break their neck?" Riddler said.

"Please! Don't touch her!" She faced the imaginary villain. She threw her whip down and raised her hands. "Let her go, I'm not moving."

"What's she looking at father?" The real Voodoo helped the old man to stand up.

"I don't know. Something she is afraid to lose. Get her!"

"I'll do whatever you want," she said, looking at him. "Let her go, please."

"MMM, no, no," Riddler laughed. "Why we don't we play a little more?"

"This is just between us." Selina faced Voodoo. "Do you need a girl to fight? Let her go, you've got me."

Batgirl half opened her eyes and noticed Selina was in trouble. She was talking to no one. Damn, somehow she was hallucinating too.

"It's not real, Catwoman!" Batgirl shouted. "You are hallucinating. Don't believe what you are see!"

Voodoo hit Catwoman with his fist on her face. She fell backwards.

Riddler laughed and jumped up and down.

"Mom, please help me!" The blonde woman heard the voice of her child, feeling a great desperation inside. She looked at Voodoo standing over her again, but she couldn't try to punch him or he would hurt her daughter.

Batgirl moved her hand toward her belt. She needed to move quickly. Voodoo and his father were distracted with Catwoman.

"Want to see her dead?" Voodoo laughed, kicking the blonde woman in her gut. Helena struggled, unsuccessfully, trying to free herself from Riddler's grip. A batarang crashed against Voodoo's forehead, knocking him down.

"No!" Selina shouted. "Leave him alone! He will hurt Helena!"

"No one is there." Batgirl took the batarang in her hand again.

Catwoman looked at the Riddler, who took out a knife. "Maybe we can eat kitten sausage."

"No, please!"

"Selina, please," Batgirl shouted biting her lip, the joint was creating extreme pressure on her gut. "Trust me, no one is there! You are hallucinating! Damn!"

"You are dead, bitch!" the old man said, taking a knife from Voodoo's waist.

"Catwoman, wake up!" Batgirl saw where her friend was looking and she threw her batarang there.

The blonde woman saw the weapon go through the Riddler and it disappeared. She blinked, she was right, was a hallucination

"Watch out!" Batgirl said in a loud voice.

Catwoman turned in time to grab the hand of the old man. Annoyed, she hit him hard with her fist. "The fact that you're old doesn't mean that I can't kick your ass," she growled.

She knocked him out with that simple punch. Catwoman cleaned the sweat off her face and sighed with relief; that hallucination had been so real. Now she understood the nightmare that Barbara had been living. She looked at the two men; they were unconscious. She looked at Batgirl, who was still trapped and moving restlessly under the weight of the joist and walked toward her.

"Thanks." Selina said, examining the joist that had trapped her. "I'm going to move this, and you crawl back. All right?"

"Yes." The red head nodded.

Using all her strength, she moved the joist enough to create a space for Batgirl to crawl back. The young crime fighter sighed with relief, feeling the pressure over her gut disappear. Using her legs, she pushed herself back and rolled to her side growling. Selina went to her side, they had beaten her up pretty badly.

"Are you all right?" Catwoman asked, worried.

"Yes, I'm okay." The redhead winced in pain.

"Liar. I need to take you out of here. Can you stand up if I help you?"

Batgirl swallowed and nodded. Selina moved an arm gently around her back and helped her to stand up.


	19. More problems

Trying to get Barbara inside her apartment was a problem. She couldn't take her dressed as Batgirl and she as Catwoman through the main door. The young woman moved in and out of consciousness the entire trip, she was badly injured. Luckily, she had parked her car near that old building. Catwoman had called the police and then Leslie, asking her to come to her apartment.

The blonde woman parked at the back of the building and, moving outside the car, she looked up. Five floors. Easy if she was climbing alone. The street was empty. She opened Barbara's door examined her belt. It looked simple, but was complicated. She clapped the redhead's face softly.

"Barbara, wake up... Barbara."

"Uh?" The young woman could barely open her eyes. Her entire body was sore.

"Where is the bat-cable?" Catwoman asked.

"Why?" Batgirl asked, stunned.

Catwoman examined her belt trying to find it. "I can't take you inside the apartment from the front door, we need climb through the window."

Batgirl moved her hand to her right side and took out a small object, she opened it and inside was a metallic bat with a kind of grip in the other side. "Just point and shoot."

The blonde took it between her hands and looked for a button to shoot it. "Dammit, how can these people work with this thing?" she mumbled to herself. By accident, she pressed a button and the weapon shot the hook, which crashed against the brick wall and buried in it. "Shit!." Catwoman growled, she tried to remove it, but the thing was buried deep inside the wall. "At least I know it's secure," she thought to herself.

After fight a few seconds, she freed the hook and prepared the gun to shoot again. She pointed up and shot. The hook landed at the top of the building.

"Good." Catwoman went to the car and moved her arm behind Batgirl's back. The younger woman winced in pain.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's okay," Batgirl swallowed. "It's all right."

"I need to take you upstairs, I can't do this the easy way, so, we are going to do it the hard way."

The young crime fighter felt stunned, she tried to stay alert, but it was impossible. She felt Catwoman's hand holding her waist. The ex-burglar secured the bat-cable to Batgirl's waist and prepared to climb the building.

"Help me, I can't do this alone," Catwoman said to her.

Batgirl tried to do as she was told, but her body and her mind didn't respond. Suddenly, Catwoman felt herself losing her friend. She had passed out.

"Not now, Barbara!" Catwoman said to her, frustrated and and holding her with both arms to prevent the redhead from hitting the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" a voice said.

Catwoman turned her face to find Leslie a few meters away. "Leslie?"

"I thought you were retired." The older woman walked toward her with firm steps. She had been waiting on the front side for her, but something had told her to look around at the other side the building. Years of knowing the dark activities of her night-friends had taught her they never used the front doors.

"I am..." Catwoman said, holding Batgirl's limp form between her arms "But this girl sometimes forces me to quit my retirement.

"What happened to her?" Leslie went to her.

Catwoman kneeled and took Batgirl's head on her lap. "She's injured pretty badly, she was beaten up roughly. Helena is in there and I can't walk in by the main entrance with her dressed like this."

"Do you want to break your neck? Have you tried once to use your head, honey?" Leslie said, removing her long coat.

"What?" Selina blinked.

"Remove her cowl, cape, boots and gloves."

"But..."

"Do it and give me your car keys."

Catwoman did as Leslie told her; the older woman took the parts of Barbara's costume. "Put the coat over her. It's long, will cover the rest of her Batgirl suit."

Leslie went to the car and opened the trunk. She put the cowl, cape and boots inside. She looked inside where Selina's clothes were, she took them and went to the blonde woman.

"You can't climb with her in this condition." Leslie gave her the clothes. "Put your coat on and cover your costume. Don't forget to remove the cowl. It will easier this way."

Selina removed her cowl and put her coat on, while Leslie examined her friend's pupils with a small light.

"Doesn't look good, against what did she fight? A train?"  
  
"More or less." Selina put her cowl inside the car and closed it.

"Help me with her. We need to take her inside now." Selina moved an arm behind Barbara's back "Do you think Helena will be sleep?"

"Yes, if not, I'll tell her she is drunk. Alfred is taking care of her." The blonde helped her to pick up Barbara.

* * *

Alfred was in the kitchen reading the newspaper. Helena had fallen asleep a long ago. She had lost the last five games of poker; and with no more money, the last bet was Alfred cooking a dessert or Helena going to sleep. Of course he won; the kid was smart, but she couldn't do anything against his years of experience.

He heard the front door opening and went to it. Selina half-opened the door and looked him.

"Helena?" she asked.

"Sleeping, Madam." He moved his hands back.

"Good, help us," the blonde said, opening the door.

Alfred saw that she and Leslie and were carrying an unconscious Barbara Gordon and he immediately went to her to pick her up. He noticed she had been badly beaten.

"Follow me," Selina whispered, guiding him to Barbara's bedroom. Selina followed them.

"What happened to her?"

"She went to face a bad guy and she wasn't in good shape," the blonde explained, pulling back the blankets on the bed.

Alfred put her gently on the bed. After helping the two women to remove her coat, he said, "I'll bring warm water."

"Please, Alfred... Selina, I need clean cloths," Leslie said, putting her bag on the night table and opening it.

Selina unlocked her belt to take it off. Barbara stirred lightly and half opened her eyes.

"Babs, how do you feel?" Leslie asked, leaning over her and cleaning a thread of blood from her forehead, she had a small cut on her head.

"Like shit," she grunted, holding her ribs.

Leslie looked at Selina, who had removed her belt. "We need to remove the custume."

Selina tried to help her to sit to remove the costume, but Barbara groaned. "Don't move me," she winced in pain, "it hurts..."

"She could have internal damage." Leslie said to Selina. "Better cut it."

"She won't like it."  
  
"We are not asking her. I need to examine her. I don't like this," the doctor explained.

"I'm toast," the blonde said.

"She is toast if I don't examine her now," Leslie gave her a pair of scissors.

Selina did as she was told.

"Babs," Leslie touched Barbara's face, "can you hear me?"

The redhead nodded.

"Tell me what hurts you?"

"My left side, I think he broke... something when he hit me." She swallowed hard. "My arm, I can't move it."

"Which arm?"

"Left."

Leslie moved and looked at it. She had a big cut on the inner side. "Pretty bad," she mumbled.

"I thought I was hurt when the floor collapsed," Barbara whispered.

"Leslie." Selina said, when she had finished cutting the front side of her costume.

"Damn," the old woman mumbled to herself when she saw her thorax. It had severe bruises. She was certain the redhead had at least one broken rib.

"I'll tell Alfred to stay outside."

"Don't worry, he is a very good assistant, I need him. Alfred is a skilled medical technician, a skill gained during his time in the British Army as a young man." Leslie began to take some supplies out of her bag. "Just look for something to cover her. When he comes in, you go to keep an eye on Helena; I don't want to see her around, asking what happened. Cut the sleeves, I need to inject something for the pain." Leslie leaned over the red head. "Barbara, I'm going to help you a sleep a while, all right?"

The young woman nodded, closing her eyes, she was numb.

Alfred walked inside with a tray with hot water. Selina helped him put it on a table.

"Alfred, hi," Leslie greeted, preparing a syringe. "I'm sorry we only see each other in these situations. How did these women involve you in this?"

"Miss Selina called me to help her by taking care of her daughter," the butler said.

Leslie stopped what she was doing and frowned. "You babysitting a child?"

"**_Taking care of,_** madam," he corrected.

"It's the same, how...?"

"I asked him to help, Les," Selina explained. "I knew Barbara was in trouble and I needed someone that could take care of her. If he hadn't come, I'm sure Barbara would be dead now."

"Alfred is here?" Barbara mumbled, half opening her eyes.

"Hi, Miss Barbara." He walked in, smiling and took her hand. "I saw you had a rough night."

"Just a bit."

"Alfred, I'll need your help," Leslie said cleaning the redhead's arm to inject her. "She has numerous cuts, a few of which we had to stitch; we need to bandage her right arm and I'm sure she has some broken ribs." She smiled at Barbara. "Don't worry, honey, when you wake up, you will be okay."

He took a cloth and moved her left arm gently to clean it.

"Is it true that you were babysitting Helena?" Barbara asked Alfred weakly.

"Taking care of," he corrected her.

"I hope she didn't get you with her card game."

He smiled. "She tried, but I'm an old card shark."

Barbara laughed lightly, closing her eyes. Without feeling it, she fell asleep.


	20. At home

Alfred knows abouts who is Helena? well, checking the episodes, I guess he knew, but I dont know exactly when. Im going to write that he knows who is she but I think than this time is too soon.

In three birds and a baby he said:

**ALFRED PENNYWORTH: Might I remind you, Miss Helena, I'm a butler,not a nanny.**

**BARBARA: Well, I-I thought you raised Bruce Wayne from the timehe was little.**

**ALFRED PENNYWORTH: Oh, yes, indeed. It does seem I have beentaking care of children and everyone else for more years than I can count. So ... it's nice that you're developing an appreciation of my work.**

So this would means he took care of Helena too in some moment. But, who knows?

* * *

The first thing that she felt was the soft pillow under her head and the warm mattress. Again in bed? That was not a good sign. Barbara opened her eyes slowly and looked around. It took her a few seconds to remember what had happened.

She tried to sit and a sharp of pain in her ribs made her lie back. Uh, the beating had been worse than she had imagined. She looked at her left warm. It had a bandage. She moved her hand slowly to her waist and felt another bandage over her waist. She closed her eyes. She couldn't stay there; Selina was so nice, but she could manage alone. It would be best to rest at her own place.

Maybe the idea of standing up wouldn't be good after all. She had been so stupid going to face Voodoo in her weak condition. Taking a deep breath and biting her lip, she sat up on the mattress; her clothes were probably inside the closet. She closed her eyes, she just needed to rest a few seconds before standing up.

"What are you doing?" Selina stood up in the frame door; she was more than pissed, her eyes were feral.

"I need to go home," Barbara answered.

"How? You are seriously injured." The blonde woman walked toward her.

"It's not that bad. I have been in worse situations than this one."

"Sure..." Selina nodded, crossing her arms and looking at her.

Barbara took a breath and tried to stand up, but the pain at her waist made her groan and she sat down again. She couldn't stand up. Shit. She hated that.

"I'm glad two broken ribs broken are typical for you." Selina sat in a chair next to the wall. "But please, Leslie worked all night treating you, don't screw it up now with your stubbornness."

The redhead closed her eyes, angry at her useless condition.

"What the hell were you doing facing Voodoo?" the blonde asked.

"Don't bother me now," she mumbled, lying back again on the bed, she's did not need to be scolded by an ex-criminal. She was an adult.

"If I hadn't gone there, you would be dead now! What were you trying to do? Kill yourself?"

"Maybe that was my destiny, maybe you just delayed it," Barbara said in annoyance, feeling really angry. She hated being scolded like a kid.

"Don't try to play hero with me." The blonde growled.

"I do not need a babysitter, Selina!" Barbara shouted. "I'm an adult, I know what I'm doing."

"And going to that place was a mature decision?" Please! I asked you to stay here while you were recovering and while we figured out how to defeat Voodoo and, instead, you just went out to find him and he almost killed you!"

"I'm a not a child!"

"Well, it certainly looks that way from here! Barbara you are worse than Helena! At least I can ground her and have her be quiet!"

"Why do you want to ground me?" Helena opened the door and walked inside the room with a lollipop in her mouth.

"What are you doing here?" Selina glared at her. "You should be in school."

Helena noticed her cat eyes. "Why are you mad, Mom?"

"Don't change the subject," Selina said. "I asked, what are you doing here?"

"I got kicked out. The principal caught me running in the corridor." Helena put her school bag on a chair.

"You are out?" Selina glared at her.

"Just for today, she told me I was punished and that she wants to talk with you tomorrow." Helena took a peice of paper of her pocket and gave it to her mother.

"Damn! I have told you many times not to do that!" The blonde woman was most annoyed.

"I needed to go to the bathroom, it was an emergency," the kid explained, looking up at her.

"Excellent, I'm sick and you're out of school." Barbara moved back slowly to rest her head on the pillow.

"Not my fault." Helena smiled at the red head. "Barbara, how are you?"

"Better, honey." The redhead answered, clenching her teeth as she felt a sharp pain in her back.

"Doesn't look like it." The kid kneeled next to the mattress and looked at Barbara's right eye that was purple and half closed. "Mom said a car hit you, why do cars always hit you? Your eye is pretty ugly now."

"Helena, go to your room." Her mother shook her head. "As soon as I finish with Barbara, I want to have a serious talk with you."

"You are in trouble," Helena said to the redhead, resting her head on her arms. "When she says that, you are in trouble."

"Like you." Barbara raised her brow.

"Move it, Helena," Selina said. "I said I need to talk with Barbara alone."

The kid stood up.

"Please." The red head rolled her eyes. Being hurt by a criminal was a common thing for crime fighters. She had been beaten many times in her career. This was one more; she accepted it, she had been stupid, but she was a human and made mistakes. "You are being dramatic with this, Selina."

"And she always says that I'm the one that's dramatic," Helena whispered in Barbara's ear.

"I'm not dramatic; Helena is a kid, but you are an adult!" Selina pointed at the younger woman.

"I'm an adult, I know what to do or not!" Barbara began to feel exasperated.

"Mom doesn't like yelling, careful." Helena took the lollipop out of her mouth. Barbara didn't know her mother when she was angry. It was best to warn her.

"Helena, go to your room now!" Selina glared at the kid; she wanted her out of the room so she could speak freely with the redhead about the problem.

"I just wanted know how Barbara is." The child looked at her. "You told me I could see her today."

"You saw her, now go." Selina shook her head. "Damn! Barbara is as stubborn as you!"

"No way!" Helena protested. "I'm not stubborn."  
  
"Yes, you are!" Her mother said turning to face her. "Don't interrupt us! This is an adult discussion. Please go-to-your-room."

"All right, all right," the child mumbled, walking to the door.

"Selina," Barbara tried to calm the situation and explained, "I needed to do it, you know how the business works."

"No," Selina walked toward her furiously, "You know you didn't need to expose yourself in that stupid way."

"She crossed a street with out being careful?" Helena stopped and cocked her head.

"Helena! You are not a part of this conversation!" Selina grumbled. "I said, go to your room, this is the last time I'm going to tell you!"

"But you are talking about me." Helena made a face.

"Go now!"

"I'm not stubborn, I'm determined," Barbara said. Selina was trying to deal with her as if she was a child. She didn't like that, she was an adult, and she didn't need to be treated that way.

"I'm determined, too." The child nodded.

"No, you are stubborn." Selina glared at Barbara.

"Yes, I'm firm in my convictions." The kid said to herself, "Good answer."

"You can't compare me to a child," Barbara protested.

Helena growled. "What's wrong with being a kid?"

"You are a kid!" Selina pointed out to Barbara.

"I'm not a kid." That was enough, the redhead tried to sit, but the pain made her move back holding her waist.

"I am, but cars don't hit me every week..." Helena rubbed her nose.

"Helena!" Barbara and Selina shouted at the same time.

"What a mood!" the child mumbled.

"Selina, understand. I make my own decisions." Barbara fixed her eyes on the blonde "You are acting like a grumpy mom."

"She is sometimes." Blue eyes looked at the redhead.

"That's it! You are punished." Selina pointed at Helena.

"What did I do?"

"You are in the wrong place at the wrong moment. You are punished -- no television, no cookies, no poptarts, go!"

"It's not my fault!" Helena pointed at Barbara "It's hers."

"Why mine?" Barbara frowned.

"Because she was talking with you not with me!"

"But you came in, you joined us, no one called you, so, you fell in the hole alone, don't try to blame me," Barbara said to her.

"And you ran in the corridors again and are now out of school."

"But just for one day." Helena studied her feet "And besides, when I came here, you were discussing me already, it was not my fault."

"You are here without permission." Selina rubbed her temples. "I told you to go to your room since the first moment."

"But you are talking about me!"

"No, we aren't," Barbara told her.

"Okay.. enough." Selina sighed. This conversation was making her crazy with Helena interrupting and Barbara not listening.

"Yes, Mom said you are "stubborn like Helena". Helena is me and I'm not stubborn."

"No?" Barbara mocked.

"I said enough." Selina closed her eyes.

"You are stubborn and you talk like a little parrot," Barbara joked.

"I'm not a parrot." Helena frowned. Was Barbara teasing her? She wasn't a parrot; she listened and paid attention to all her tutorials.

"Who talks all the time in the tutorials?" Barbara smirked at the kid.

"I just ask." Yes, she just asked. Tutorials were for learning, not keeping quiet.

"Enough..." Selina shook her head.

"No, you don't ask," Barbara explained, "you don't listen and your mind is always.. I don't know where."

"Not true!"

"I said enough!!" Selina yelled, taking the kid by her ear and moving her out of the room.

"OW OW OW, MOM!! That hurts!" the child cried.

"To your room now! No television, no cookies, no poptarts. "God! I can't believe I have to deal with two kids! I just wanted one!"

Helena walked on her tip toes while her mother took her out of the room. Selina pushed her out and closed the door behind her. "To your room!" She turned, glaring at the redhead. "Barbara, you exposed your life like a stupid kid! I brought you here yesterday pretty badly beaten, Leslie stayed here until the morning treating you and I didn't sleep all night, keeping an eye on you. She was really worried about your injuries. Could you do us a favor? Just stay here, don't go out, no phone calls to the office. Just rest! Am I asking too much?"

Barbara shook her head. "Selina..."

"Do whatever you want with your life," Selina grumbled. "If you want to die from your stubbornness, do it. But don't expect us to stay out of it and not say a word, watching you kill yourself." Annoyed, she stormed out of the room.

Barbara moved her head back and closed her eyes. She was right. She was damn right.

Helena, come here! She heard Selina's yells. Where are you?

You said go to my room, I'm in my room. The next voice was Helena's.

Why you were running in the corridors?

I had to pee.

Barbara couldn't avoid smiling lightly, hearing Helana defending herself to avoid a worse punishment.

And Alfred told me you tried to cheat him at cards. What have I told you? Selina scolded.

Hey, he cleaned me out. He won all the money; why is he mad at me? Helena answered.

He is not mad at you; he gave me your money back, but you tried to cheat him! I hate when you do that.

Barbara looked out the window. The past days had been bad; she was guilty; she needed to apologize to Selina. She needed to do it, but, first, she needed to stop feeling so angry at herself. Anything could happen if she could think clearly and if she could be most patient.

"God," she mumbled to herself, covering her eyes with her hands. "I'm so stupid sometimes."


	21. Scolded

Barbara was half asleep, she felt a light weight on the mattress next to her. She opened her eyes and saw Helena moving the blankets to cover herselfand Jaçques with them. She had put some comics on the night table.

"Aren't you grounded?" the redhead asked.

"Yes, so are you," the kid said, moving Jaçques next to her.

"I'm not grounded."

"Yes, you are." Helena rested her head on the pillow and opened a comic to read. "Mom told you not to leave here, like me. She is angry because you went out last night and the car hit you."

"Bad idea." Barbara sighed.

"Bad week." Helena pointed out. "Including this time, she has grounded me three times this week. Not good."

"And what are you doing here?"

"It's boring to be grounded alone, want to read a comic?"

Barbara smiled. "All right."

The girl put the comic books between them.

Barbara took one and examined it. "I heard that you tried to trick Alfred."

"No, he tricked me. He made me believe that he didn't know how play and I lost all my money." Helena turned the page of her comic book.

"But you tried to trick him first."

"We were playing."

"And you were cheating." Barbara glared at her.

Helena put the comic down and looked at her. "I was playing."

"I know how you play, that is cheating."

"He won anyway, so what's the problem?"

"You shouldn't cheat at games," Barbara said. "Let me give you some advice, never try to be smarter than Alfred. He always wins, he's smart."

"And a cheater, he plays like a pro." Helena frowned. "Who is Alfred? Why do you know him too?"

"He is the butler of a common friend."

"He is fun to be a butler, I thought butlers were boring."

"He isn't." The young woman raised the magazine and opened it to read. She at looked it a few minutes. "How can you read these things? They're full of violence."

"The news is worse and mom watches it every night."

"Point for you, but don't you have something better than Spawn?" Barbara took another comic and opened it. She didn't have many choices and she needed to rest at least two or three more days there.

Helena sat on the bed and looked at her magazines. "I have Donald Duck."

"Give me that one, it's much better than this."

* * *

Selina was checking her accounting at the living room table. She was not in a very good mood. Helena was out of school for running inside the school and she needed to talk with the principal the next day; Barbara was resting after a terrible beating and after acting like a stubborn kid. And, at night trying to prevent her kid from discovering what had really happened and who she was.

Dammit.

She put her elbows over the table and covered her face with her hands. What a day!

"Mom?"

Selina jumped in her place. Helena was standing up at the table watching her in her pajamas. Sometimes, she hated that she was so silent.

"You should be in your room, you are grounded." Selina put her pencil on the table.

"Barbara wants to talk with you."

Selina raised a brow. "How do you know that? I told to stay in your room. "

"Well... Barbara is grounded too..." Helena explained, "I was bored, so I thought we could be grounded together."

"You should be in your room, not in Barbara's room."

"You said no television and no cookies and no poptarts, but you didn't said not to be grounded with her. We are neighbors."

"Helena..." Selina wanted to smile, but she couldn't. She rubbed her temples, thinking she needed to show her determination.  
  
"Her room is in front of mine, it's the same," the little brunette explained, looking her bare feet.

"No, it's not the same." Selina raised her head. "When you are grounded you have to be by yourself, where are your slippers?"

"In my room."

"Okay, go to your room now, I'll talk with Barbara." Selina stood up and walked toward the bedroom.

"Are you going to be mad all night?" Helena followed her with her eyes.

"Am I wrong to be mad with you?" Selina stopped and looked at her.

"No, but..." Helena said in a low voice, lowering her head.

Silence enveloped the room.

Selina waited a few seconds before leaning over her. "No, but?"

Helena raised her eyes and wrapped her arms around her neck. "I don't like it when you are mad at me, Mom."

Selina couldn't resist the offer of love and Helena's slightly teary eyes; she kneeled and hugged her; she had melted her heart again. "I hate being mad with you," she whispered in her ear, "but sometimes you don't listen, Helena."

"I'm sorry mom. I had to pee really bad."

This time Selina couldn't avoid laughing. "Helena, take your time and walk when you have to pee. Don't run inside the school, the principal has told you so many times." Selina moved back and fixed her eyes on Helena's, brushing the hair off her face with her fingers. "Promise me you won't do that again. I hate go to school to hear the principal give me a speech."

"I love you mom." Helena said her again, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you too, honey. Now go to your room, I need to talk with Barbara alone."

"Okay. Can I have dinner?"

"No, not yet, let me talk with Barbara first."

"I'm hungry."

Selina glared at the kid and she understood. She went to her room in silence.

Barbara turned the page of another comic, trying to distract herself, with her back against the headboard. It was awful to just be there lying on a bed, but, otherwise, she couldn't move too much, she was so sore. She heard knocks at the door. That must be Selina.

"Come in," she said.

"You called?" The blonde opened the door.

"I need to talk to you." She put the magazine to the side.

Selina sat at the bottom of the bed and looked at her. "About?"

Barbara took a deep breath. It was hard to talk when she wanted to apologize. Damn. She wished that it was easier. "I don't know how to start..." she said.

"Maybe by apologizing?" Selina raised a brow. Barbara was more proud than she had imagined. Typical of a youth.

"All right, I did a stupid thing." The red head felt cornered. "I wasn't thinking straight. I'm sorry, all right? I'm angry, I'm angry with myself because I know I did something wrong."

Selina looked at her in silence. Barbara didn't like that look, she moved uncomfortably and waited for a reaction from the old woman. But she remained still.

"Well? Say something?"

"Helena told me you wanted to talk with me. I'm listening:"

"You are not helpful," Barbara said frustrated.

"Why? I'm listening to you."

Barbara closed her eyes. "Selina, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, really. You are right. Being a crime fighter doesn't mean exposing your life in a stupid way if you can avoid it. You need to think with your head, try to think as they are doing, so you will always be a step in front of them. I'm sorry because you don't have any obligation to me. We are nothing and I'm just causing you trouble."

"Barbara, it's not an obligation," Selina interrupted, "you are my friend, I'm worried about you. That's all, I hate seeing you this way, knowing you could have avoided it, if only you would stop to think and calm down a second. Did you think about your father? How do you think he would feel knowing you...?" The blonde shook her head. "He is an old man, Barbara, you are his life, and you..." The blonde stood up. "God! You're only twenty two! You still have your whole life in front of you! If you want to die being a crime fighter, do it, but do it when you don't have any other choice. Don't throw your life away for nothing."

Barbara remained silent and lowered her head.

Selina sighed and brushed Barbara's hair from her face. "I would to hate know that something happened to you. You are nice, Helena likes you... and Helena is difficult... that's a point for you."

"Why do you...? " Barbara tried to find the correct word.

"Feel worried about you?" The blonde smiled and fixed her eyes on the window crossing her arms. "After I made my choice to quit, nobody believed in me." She looked at the redhead. "Only you, I could talk with you without needing to give an explanation about what I had been and why. You accepted me that way. It's not easy, people often view me with distrust; your father for example."

"I'm sorry about him.."

"No, no, I don't want you to apologize for him. I understand, I understand him and many other people. I'm like them. Look at me, I always walk with my eyes open, I know my past always will live in me. I don't trust anyone, and I turn more suspicious if it's about Helena. She is just a child, she can't defend herself; she is still too small to understand many things about my life. I'm afraid that one day, an old enemy could come back looking for revenge and try to hurt her." Selina sighed and sat again on the bed. "You know about what criminals I'm talking, you know they are not common thieves. For that reason, I never leave her alone or with anybody... only you."

Barbara frowned. "Are you telling me that you are worried about me because you would lose the only tutor and baby sitter of your child?"

"Yes."

"You're cute, cute as she is when she asked me go to the school to give a speech."

"We have our charms." Selina smiled and Barbara too.

"Thanks, Selina." The redhead took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you."

"Does this mean that I'm not grounded now and we can have dinner?" Barbara joked.

"You are, like Helena, but..." Selina bit her lip. "I can be flexible tonight and cook some delicious pasta."

"That would be good," Barbara said.

"Yes." The blonde stood up and opened the door. "Let me call Helena, she has been hungry for a long time and she is waiting for her dinner." Selina noticed the black stuffed cat next to Barbara. "What's Jaçques doing here?"

"You know... Helena."

Selina smiled and walked outside the room, closing the door. Barbara was a great hero, but also a great woman. She just needed to stop being so impulsive. She knocked on her daughter's door and opened it. Helena was sprawled on the floor looking at nothing.

"And now?" Selina put her hands on her waist.

"I'm dying of boredom," the child mumbled.

Selina raised her eyes. "Okay, before you die, do you want dinner?"

"Yes!" She raised her head immediately.

"Okay, come help me to make the pasta. We are going to have a nice dinner in Barbara's bedroom."

"Aren't we grounded?" Helena looked at her with her big blue eyes.

"Yes, but even disobedient children as you need to eat, no?" Selina smirked.

"Yes."  
  
"Let's go."


	22. The end

Fifteen days later, Helena was at school. Barbara had promised to give the speech. This time she wasn't sick and her mother had promised to pick up her. So she would be there on time. She had been watching her watch nervously since eight o'clock, Barbara had promised her that she would be there at nine o'clock.

"Hey, calm down," Gibson said. "She will come."

"I hope so," Helena mumbled looking out the windows of her classroom.

"Well boys and girls, now I need to ask you to go to the Auditorium," the professor said. "We have a special event there. Miss Barbara Gordon, head librarian of Gotham Library has prepared a special event for us."

"Auditorium?" Helena opened her eyes wide.

The kids picked up their bags and walked out of the classroom. Helena walked toward her professor.

"Auditorium?" she asked, "It's in the classroom, you are wrong."

"No, Helena," the proffessor said, "the auditorium, come on."

Gibson took his school bag and walked toward her. "Let's go."

"I'm afraid that Barbara will talk too long and be boring about her boring job."

"You invited her."

"I know, but in the classroom, not the auditorium." Helena said, picking up her books and putting them inside her school bag. "

"You should be proud, the professor said she is great," Gibson noted.

"I'm not sure about this."

"Hey, Helena, have you heard the stories about the people dressed as bats?"

She looked at him in silence. Was he talking about her angel?

"Yes," he said, "come on Helena, don't tell me you haven't heard about it."

"No."

He leaned over her and whispered, "People say that at night the underworld trembles. Giant bats are prowling.... Just watching us. They have giant teeth and paws; I had heard that they can cut your flesh in two with just a finger and..."

"Gibson." Helena glared at him.

"Yes?"

"Don't be stupid. Let's go."She took her school bag and put it on her back.

"But it's true." They walked outside the classroom.

"Gibson!" The child rolled her eyes, his friend watched to many television shows.

"I'm telling you the truth."

"Don't be a kid!" Helena said in a loud voice.

"Hey, you two, what's the problem?"

Both stopped and looked back.

"Mom, what's that about the auditorium?" Helena asked.

"Well, Barbara prepared something special, she owes this to you."

"What?" Helena suddenly stopped and saw the auditorium was full of kids and adults. "What's going on here?"

"Helena said Barbara is a boring person." Gibson looked up at Selina.

"I didn't say that!" Helena frowned.

"Yes, you did."

"Not true."

"Yes!"

"Hey, hey..." Selina said.

"You said you were afraid that Barbara would talk too long and be boring about her boring job." Gibson reminded her.

"Gossip!" She pushed him.

"Helena, stop!" Selina took her by her arm, "Don't do that again or I'll punish you!"

"He is a gossip!" the child shouted, facing Gibson.

"I'm not a gossip!" he shouted back.

Selina took each kid by the neck with her hands and pulled one to her right and other to her left. "Let's go to the auditorium and stop the fighting. One, two, one, two..."

Barbara was standing up next to the entrance talking with the principal and some professors. She looked at them and smiled. She walked over to them.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi, Babs." Selina kissed her cheek.

"Hi, Helena." Barbara took her shoulder. "I'm here."

"Why are so many people here?" the child asked "It's just a presentation."

"Well... I thought you deserved something better since... I couldn't be here fifteen days ago. And I talked with the mayor and he agreed to come here, too." She pointed at the mayor, who was talking with the principal. "He's a good friend of my dad."

"The mayor?" Helena opened her eyes wide.

"Wow, you have important friends, Helena." Gibson said.

"The mayor? For what?" Helena blinked.

"Hello, Helena." The Principal walked up to the group.

"Morning, Mrs. Dawson," she said.

"I must thank you."

Helena frowned.

"Miss Gordon was very nice offering to create a "Library at school" Week, opened by the mayor of the city."

"**_Library at school_**? What's that?" Gibson asked.

Barbara smiled and explained: "A special interactive workshop that we created inside the auditorium about how to recycle paper, how mend broken books and more interesting topics. You can draw there too, with assistance from the library personnel."

"We really appreciate this, Miss Gordon," the principal said. "It's the first time that they've done it outside the library."

"Me? Oh, no, it was Helena's idea. I'm glad to help."

"My idea?" Helena mumbled, stunned.

"You are very smart." The Principal looked at the child. "Well, I think that is a good idea that the Mayor and Miss Gordon will open the exposition."

"Excellent idea." Barbara smiled.

"Okay, let's go," the Principal said.

Helena pulled Barbara's sleeve. "I did what?"

"Oh, just say yes to everything." Barbara winked at her and taking her hand, she pulled her toward the auditorium door.

"It was her idea?" Gibson was surprised and asked Selina, watching Helena walk with Barbara.

"Sometimes she can surprise us, no?" Selina smiled.

"I'm sure it wasn't her idea."

"Gibson."

"Well... she.."

Selina raised her eyes and pushed him, "Come on, walk."

* * *

Helena was happy at the end of the day. The event had been successful and the principal had congratulated her because of her "idea". Well, after all, it had been her idea to invite Barbara. The workshops were fun and the redhead had received many congratulations and she couldn't avoid feeling proud of her friend.

Barbara had organized a BBQ on her terrace to celebrate and to give Selina and Leslie thanks for their help. Helena was a bit concerned because Barbara's cooking history wasn't pleasant for her, but her mother had convinced her telling her that Leslie was going to be the cook and showing her the bag where she had bought the ribs at the supermarket.

Barbara put a roaster and a table on her terrace. Barbara and Selina were talking at the table; Barbara looked at a picture that Selina always carried with her in her bag.

"Is this Helena? She's so cute!" the red head said.

"I'm not cute," Helena protested, she didn't like being called cute. She was standing up next to it, holding her plate.

Leslie, who was wearing a leather apron, gazed at the table and looked at the pic "She had the same demon face as she does now." She went to the roaster. "You are very impatient," Leslie said to the child

"I'm hungry."

"You? I can't believe it. Okay, they are ready." Leslie put some ribs on her plate.

"Do you have BBQ sauce?" the kid asked.

Leslie took a spoon and put some sauce on her ribs.

"I want more sauce," Helena said.

"Your ribs are swimming in sauce." Leslie frowned looking the ribs. "In fact, they are drowning now."

Helena looked at her plate. "No, they're dry."

"No, they aren't, eat them. Now move." She pushed her lightly. "Next!"

"Me!" Barbara raised her hand and stood up slowly, her ribs still hurt, she walked to Leslie. The kid was still standing there. "Helena, you need to let people eat, you are not the only one that's hungry."

"My ribs are dry." Helena said again.

"What ribs?" Barbara looked at her plate. "I only see sauce there."

"Okay, okay," Leslie said, giving her a bit more sauce "Now go and clear the area. I'm working."

Helena smiled and went to the table.

"Okay, Barbara, here are your ribs."

Selina smirked at her daughter, crossing her arms on the table. "You need a spoon to eat your soup."

"It's not soup, it's ribs." Helena asked with her fingers covered in sauce.

"Well, maybe you need to be a diver to find them."

"Selina, you're next!" Leslie said.

"I'm coming!" The blonde stood up immediately.

Barbara sat next to Helena. She didn't know why, but she really liked the child; she was actually much smarter than she let on.

Helena raised her face, which was covered in sauce, smiling at her. "Thanks, you were great."

"I owe it to you, Helena." Barbara said.

"But it was just a speech and you did a whole big thing!"

"Well, I showed you I'm not just a boring librarian."

"No, you aren't."

"Mmm, this looks great!" Selina said, sitting at the table.

"Tastes great," Barbara licked her lips "You are good, Leslie!"

"I'm the master of the BBQ, Barbara." Leslie smiled, pointing at them with her fork. "Keep that in mind."

"I want more sauce." Helena licked her lips.

"Helena, you need to eat the ribs not sauce," Selina said.

"I like sauce."

"I know you like sauce, but BBQ is not just sauce."

Leslie put a plate with more ribs on the table.

"I'm eating my ribs, but with sauce. They're dry," Helena explained.

"Where did your sauce go?" Leslie asked looking at Helena's plate. "The ribs survived the flow?"

Barbara smiled and gave the child more sauce.

"That's not good, Barbara, she needs to eat too." Selina sighed.

"I'm eating."

"Yes, and so is your shirt." Barbara cleaned the child's shirt with a cloth. "Now I know where the sauce went."

"How do you feel now?" Leslie sat on the table and looked at Barbara.

"Much better, thanks, I'm healing." The red head looked at her waist "It's just still a bit difficult to move."

"No 'hanging off buildings' for a month, I told you."

"I know, now I'm just following bad guys in a taxi."

"Do you follow guys in cabs?" Helena frowned to Barbara.

"Almost."

"Do you hang off buildings, Barbara?" the kid asked again.

"It's just an expression," Selina said, "to say she likes to move so much and go everywhere."

"Oh..." Helena kept silent a few seconds. "My angel hangs off buildings."

Selina and Barbara looked at each other. Leslie didn't understand what Helena was talking about.

"What angel?" Leslie said.

"I have an angel," the child said, biting into a rib.

Barbara moved her eyes, trying to tell Leslie to change the subject, but the old woman didn't understand.

"Everybody has an angel," Leslie explained.

"But I can see her." Helena chewed.

"Her?"

Selina hit the doctor with her elbow.

Leslie glared at the blonde.

"Yes," Helena said, "but I can't talk to you about her; she doesn't like it."

"I don't understand..." Leslie mumbled.

"I saw her again a few days ago," Helena explained.

"What?" Selina almost shouted.

"She was on my balcony." The kid looked at her licking her lips.

Selina glared at the redhead.

"Helena, you need more sauce," Barbara took the child's plate and stood up as fast as her injured thorax let her, "come with me."

"My ribs!" Helena protested.

"Come with me."

"You and I need to talk Gordon," Selina said.

"What angel?" Leslie asked her.

"Batgirl," the ex-criminal whispered, watching Helena follow Barbara.

"What?"

"Helena saw Batgirl by accident," Selina explained, annoyed. "She doesn't know it's Barbara and she thinks it's her guardian angel.... But she is dead now."

"Who?"

"Barbara, she appeared again as Batgirl in front of her and in my house! Don't go far, you might need heal another rib that I'm going to break."

"Maybe it was an accident."

"With Barbara, it's always an accident." Selina shook her head and stood up.

"Did you need talk to about your angel in front of your mother and Leslie?" Barbara said to Helena in low voice, putting more BBQ on her ribs at the roaster.

"I didn't say anything." Helena looked at her.

"You said you saw her." Barbara gave her plate.

"I just said I saw her."

"Helena, honey." Selina, smiling, took Barbara's arm, "I'll be back, I need to talk with Barbara inside a second."

"But," the red head muttered nervously, "We didn't finish yet..."

Selina smirked at Barbara. "Just a second Barbara:"

"Well, I..."

"Go with Leslie, Helena."

The kid turned and Selina pulled Barbara inside her house. "You are in trouble." She mumbled. "Explain to me that "new" appearance of Batgirl in "**my**" apartment.

Leslie smiled watching them, she looked at the child who sat at the table. "Your mother doesn't have enough with you; it seems she has adopted Babs now."

"Enough what?" the child asked.

"Headaches," Leslie said.

"I don't give her headaches."

"You are a specialist in creating them."

"Not true," Helena protested.

"Well, we could talk about the day that you ate all the Flintstones vitamins and your mother took you to the hospital." Leslie laughed.

"Not my fault. They tasted like candy."

"And the day that you fell out of the three and broke your arm?"

"Well... that was an accident."

"So..." Leslie took a rib and bit it. "Maybe we can talk about the day that you ate all that cake and you ended up at the hospital, vomiting."

"You are dangerous." Helena glared at her.

Leslie laughed, she was charming.

THE END


End file.
